The Minnesota Vikings must defend their NFC North division title this week against the Detroit Lions’ potent passing offense — but they will have to do so without starting cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.
Murphy, who injured his knee against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, did not practice all week before being ruled out on Friday, December 22. In March, the Vikings signed Murphy to their richest free-agent contract, a two-year, $22 million deal with the former Arizona Cardinals.
Murphy, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, had the injury early in the game against the Bengals but played through the agony.
“Just goes to show how tough he is.” “I fought through it, I fought through it,” O’Connell said on Friday, according to the Star Tribune. “That’s one guy where sometimes you look at him and no matter what the injury report says you’re expecting him to be out there.”
The Vikings’ injury issues do not stop with Murphy.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill (ankle), running back Alexander Mattison (ankle), linebacker Jordan Hicks (shin), linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (shoulder), and defensive tackles Harrison Phillips (back) and Jonathan Bullard (ankle) are all questionable for Sunday’s game.
Vikings Rookie Mekhi Blackmon Will Take Over for Byron Murphy Jr.
Murphy, the Vikings’ No. 1 cornerback, has played 908 defensive snaps (99%) this season and leads the club with three interceptions. He’s played the slot cornerback against second-year cornerback Akayleb Evans and the boundary corner opposing third-round rookie Mekhi Blackmon.
With Murphy out, Blackmon should see an increase in playing time against a Lions offense that ranks fourth in the league, averaging 253.5 passing yards per game.
“It’s been eye-opening,” said Blackmon, according to the Star Tribune. “You never really know what to expect in the NFL.” I’m really looking forward to this week.
The Vikings will almost certainly use safety Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus in the slot, although Amon-Ra St. Brown has ran 69.2% of his routes from the slot over the last five games, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Vikings have answers for Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Detroit has started the season 8-2, its greatest start since 1962, thanks to quarterback Jared Goff.
However, given O’Connell’s experience as Goff’s offensive coordinator in Los Angeles and Brian Flores’ previous foils of Goff, the Vikings have a potential to solve Goff.
Flores was the defensive playcaller for the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2018, where he stopped Goff and the Los Angeles Rams to three points before taking over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Goff was thriving under his new coordinator, O’Connell, two years before meeting Flores in Miami.
“The Rams left with a defeat so humbling, it sent them home stewing over deep questions about the future of their offense on the six-hour flight back to Los Angeles,” Star Tribune reporter Andrew Krammer wrote, heralding the end of the Goff era months later.
Flores has previously defeated Goff, and O’Connell’s experience working with the Lions QB can only help Flores.
