Vikings Expect Boost from Michael Pierce Return on Halloween

Ex-Vikings Defender Just Can't Catch a Break
Image Courtesy of @mikepierce_97 on Twitter.

Michael Pierce’s injury leading up to the Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns couldn’t have come at a worse time — a Browns team built to run the football with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The Vikings needed their big nose tackle. Pierce was out on the field in Week 4, but he didn’t look right. He would only play in 21% of snaps and then miss the next two games due to the elbow injury.

With the decision not to put him on injured reserve, the chance of a swift return seemed promising. Indeed, speaking to local media earlier this week, general manager Rick Spielman said of Pierce, he will be back after the bye — welcome news for a defensive unit preparing to take on a high-powered Cowboys offense.

Quarterback Dak Prescott has ample options in the passing game with Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb, and Dalton Schultz. And Ezekiel Elliott is playing as well as he has for quite some time.

Armon Watts a Capable Understudy

During his absence, the Vikings turned to third-year tackle Armon Watts. In two starts in Pierce’s stead, the former Arkansas Razorback performed admirably. Making nine tackles, plus one sack and forced fumble, Watts made his presence felt. Pro Football Focus afforded him an impressive overall grade of 81.5, the sixth-highest grade for a defensive tackle in the entire league. 

He already saw action as the Vikings rotate their defensive line often. As impressive as the past two games have been, a healthy Michael Pierce undoubtedly returns as a starter — with a great body of work and proven track record of high-level play behind him. Needless to say, the Vikings will need everyone to a man performing to a high level to stop the 5-1 Cowboys. They’ve scored 205 points in their first six games, which is a league-high. The Vikings should have no qualms about bringing Watts in on plays after his recent performances.

The Season So Far for Pierce

It was a good start to the season for Michael Pierce. A double sack debut against the Cincinnati Bengals announced his arrival with a bang after choosing to opt-out of the 2020 season for health reasons amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Pierce was good through his first three games. PFF scored him at 75.2, which was the fourth-highest score for a Vikings player at that time. However, there was still more to come, which made the timing of the injury frustrating.

While he’s been left to watch from afar, the Vikings defense that was shaky for the first few games has gradually improved. Everson Griffen has taken the starting right defensive end spot, Anthony Barr is back in at linebacker, and the secondary has improved. However, they will now be without Patrick Peterson for at least three weeks, who has been the standout player in that area of the field. To be losing one important defensive player, just as they are getting one back, is unfortunate.

The Dallas game will be a timely return for Pierce, and a boost for a defense that will need all the help it can get — in a game where the Minnesota Vikings can show how close (or far away) they are from being a genuine playoff contender.

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