Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (83) celebrates after making a stop against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings come into Week 1 with an incredibly clean bill of health. Of course, the injury report should be in check out of the gate, but it’s beyond clean for Kevin O’Connell’s squad as they get set for the New York Giants.
It’s disappointing that the Minnesota Vikings will be without T.J. Hockenson for a while this season. That timeline isn’t quite known, but he will miss a minimum of four weeks. That was known coming into the season and was planned for by grabbing some additional bodies.
When it comes to the rest of the roster, Minnesota made it through the preseason with only one substantial injury. J.J. McCarthy could have made things interesting if Sam Darnold were to struggle. The veteran would always get the first crack, and it would have always been beneficial for McCarthy to sit and learn. Beyond the rookie’s season-ending knee injury, the Vikings are ready to rock.
Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor have slight ankle issues, but neither are expected to miss Week 1. Addison’s problem stems from the joint practice against the Cleveland Browns. Nailor, who has often been injured throughout his career, was a surprise inclusion this week. If each can get in a full practice in the coming days, that would also be a great development.
A year ago, Kevin O’Connell constantly had to deal with significant injury blows to his team. Hopefully, that can be anything but the case this year, and Minnesota will be able to bring its best on a weekly basis.
The New York Giants are home underdogs against Minnesota this weekend, and Darnold can help his new team build momentum. If the Vikings can capture a victory and keep things rolling, they should feel good about where they can go into a tougher part of their schedule.
Each week, the NFL reminds us that the sport is really a war of attrition. The Vikings’ starting off in such a great place is a good thing.
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 weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.