It’s Next Man Up — Again — for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings play host to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. It looks like they will be without Stephon Gilmore’s services for the second straight week.
It’s Next Man Up — Again — for the Vikings
The Atlanta Falcons didn’t make them pay in his absence, and Brian Flores can’t let Caleb Williams do so, either.
The last time these two teams met, Williams threw the ball a whopping 47 times. He spread the ball heavily between Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet. D.J. Moore got his but had just seven catches. That level of parity is something that will keep an opposing defense on their toes.
It’s not as though Gilmore shadows wide receivers anymore. Although he is past his prime, he is still among the best cover corners in the league. His presence has helped raise the water level of Minnesota’s secondary as a whole, pushing Akayleb Evans off the roster entirely.
Without Gilmore, the Vikings have needed multiple players to step up. Fabian Moreau looked exposed in early action against the Arizona Cardinals but seemed to hold his own last week against Atlanta. Minnesota will need him to perform more in line with how he did against the Falcons.
There has also been plenty of buzz around undrafted rookie cornerback Dwight McGlothern. He has yet to see the field in any substantial capacity, and generating six snaps on Sunday was the first time he got game action. It should be expected that he will once again be active for the contest, but to what extent he is used remains a mystery.
Minnesota’s secondary has not been the stalwart their rushing front has provided. That said, they often have forced opponents into catch-up situations, leaving the defense needing to constantly defend the pass. They are sizable favorites against Chicago, and any comeback attempt will put that group on notice.
No Gilmore doesn’t have to be a problem, but Flores certainly can’t let it be, either.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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