Lost in the Shuffle, The Vikings Pass Along Some Very Poor News
The Vikings passed along some very poor news in recent days.
So much attention has been paid to what’s occurring at quarterback — Carson Wentz is going to earn yet another start while J.J. McCarthy keeps recovering — that there’s seemingly little chatter about right tackle Brian O’Neill. For consecutive days, the large lad who holds down the RT1 job hasn’t been capable of practicing, putting his readiness for Thursday Night Football in doubt.
Vikings Pass Along Poor News
In Mr. O’Neill, the Vikings have a tackle who can’t be replaced.
The man suffered an MCL sprain while battling the Steelers in Dublin. The word from Coach O’Connell is that O’Neill tried to stay in the game but the decision was to keep him from doing so. There was then an absence in Week 5 — the close Browns game in London — before a Week 6 bye. O’Neill was out there in Week 7 during the loss to the Eagles, but the game may have been costly.
Per the team’s injury report, Brian O’Neill has been hit with a “DNP” — Did Not Participate — across the Monday and Tuesday practices.
In some instances, seeing an older player get subtracted from practice work isn’t a major deal. Older fellas may need some added time to recover, so coaches tend to give these players extra time off to rest their bodies. The issue is simply that those circumstances usually lead to the “DNP” showing up alongside a note clarifying that the absence isn’t related to injury but, rather, merely a rest day.
With O’Neill, the stated reason for not being able to practice is his knee.
The Chargers are going to present a challenge. For starters, there’s the short week on the road. Those circumstances alone make life tricky, especially since the flight from Minnesota to California is among the longer ones on the Vikings’ schedule.
And then there’s the broader context.
At center, there’s either going to be Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens (both create questions). The backup passer is still going to be under center and it remains to be seen if Aaron Jones gets back onto the field.
In all likelihood, Brian O’Neill would need at least some work in practice to get the start on Thursday Night Football. A completely workless week — at least for practice reps — may point toward a scenario where Justin Skule earns the start.
The other tackle depth consists of Walter Rouse, a sophomore who possesses good size and who is inspiring some optimism in the Twin Cities. Otherwise, there’s Brandel, a college tackle who has played essentially everywhere along the o-line in his time in the NFL. He, too, could be an option to play RT, but that would require someone else to snap the ball.
The only other Viking to get consecutive DNPs alongside Brian O’Neill is veteran fullback C.J. Ham. He’s working through a hand injury.
Kickoff is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. CT.
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