The Vikings Will Be Quietly Shorthanded vs. Chargers
If the Minnesota Vikings plan to tally their win-loss record 4-5 on Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers, they’ll have to do it with a quietly understaffed depth chart.
Because the injuries steadily accumulated amid the first half of the season — and probably because the team isn’t playing very well — there isn’t really any shock value on the sheer number of Vikings injuries.
But, truth be told, the Vikings will take on the Chargers without their best pass rusher (Danielle Hunter), primary run stopper (Michael Pierce), the guy who calls the defensive shots on the field (Anthony Barr), best cornerback (Patrick Peterson), and the hardest hitter (Harrison Smith).
At every level of Minnesota’s defense, an impactful player is missing. And that doesn’t even factor in Irv Smith Jr. on offense, the TE1 who tore his meniscus in the preseason.
Danielle Hunter was injured on Halloween versus the Dallas Cowboys. He tore his pectoral muscle — the same injury that beset Anthony Barr in 2020 — in a season that started quite prosperous for the 27-year-old. Head coach Mike Zimmer stated a few days after the injury “no one can replace Hunter,” but second-year EDGE rusher D.J. Wonnum is taking a crack at it.
Nose tackle Michael Pierce was signed by general manager Rick Spielman in March 2020 — and has missed 83% of all Vikings games since jotting his name on the dotted line. Thankfully in 2021, Armon Watts has filled in admirably. Overall, though, something is amuck. The Vikings are the NFL’s third-worst rushing defense per yards allowed.
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Similar to Pierce, Anthony Barr has missed 75% of all football games since the beginning of 2020. Recently, he participated in four straight games but encountered a setback this week, causing him to sit for the Chargers showdown. In relief, linebacker Blake Lynch should see more defensive snaps.
After that, cornerback Patrick Peterson is slated to miss his third consecutive game. He hurt his hamstring while the Vikings were winning the overtime thriller against the Carolina Panthers in October, landing on the injured reserve with a brutal slate of opponents on the docket. Cameron Dantzler will be responsible for Keenan Allen, leaving coverage of Mike Williams up to Bashaud Breeland, Mackensie Alexander, or Kris Boyd.
Finally, longtime Viking Harrison Smith will miss the Week 10 game because of his stint on the COVID list. Smith tested positive for the virus last Sunday and is reportedly unvaccinated, sending him to 10 days of non-involvement with the team. He and Peterson are trending to be ready for the Week 11 game at home versus the Green Bay Packers.
There you have it. If Minnesota wants to topple Los Angeles on the road, the defense will have to rely heavily on Everson Griffen, Dalvin Tomlinson, Eric Kendricks, and then unsung youngsters to make plays — just like they did against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9. The only problem in Baltimore was players made humongous plays that the team, on the whole, could not capitalize on for victory.
Oh, and Bashaud Breeland is questionable, too.
Read ’em and weep — if the Vikings beat the Chargers, the feat will be accomplished without these high-profile men:
- Anthony Barr
- Danielle Hunter
- Patrick Peterson
- Michael Pierce
- Harrison Smith
- Irv Smith Jr.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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