Danielle Hunter has been shouldering a massive burden for Minnesota’s defense.
The lone purveyor of pass rushing in Minnesota, Hunter leads the Vikings with 5 sacks. The team as a whole only has 6 after their opening three games, so the veteran EDGE needs a helping hand if Minnesota is serious about getting back into the playoff race. Thankfully, the team’s final injury report suggests they may be able give Hunter some assistance.
The week has brought forth increasingly encouraging news on the health front. Garrett Bradbury seems likely to resume snapping the football while Byron Murphy and Josh Metellus will look toward continuing some solid work in the secondary. Harrison Phillips and Harrison Smith are all clear after missing a bit of time for rest purposes. Meanwhile, Patrick Jones is hoping to rebound from his underwhelming start to the year, an ambition that was in some peril while nursing a knee injury.
The most important bit of news, though, comes in the revelation about Marcus Davenport. The former Saint has a shot at getting into game action on Sunday.
Kevin O’Connell’s Friday press conference indicated that Lewis Cine is out due to a hamstring injury. Jaren Hall had a personal issue he had to deal with, but he’ll be the emergency QB3. Davenport and Bradbury are both questionable.
Give Hunter a Helping Hand:
The Injury Update Ahead of Week 4
Marcus Davenport may be precisely what the purple doctor ordered.
At his best, Davenport is a low-end EDGE1 in the NFL. His physical gifts make him an imposing presence along the defensive line. Standing at 6’6″ and weighing 265 pounds, Davenport runs a blistering 4.58 forty (almost identical to Hunter’s time). The size/speed combo is rare at defensive end, the kind of athletic profile that points toward someone capable of living behind the line of scrimmage.
The main reason why he doesn’t is his persistent struggle with injury. The Vikings protected themselves by only signing Davenport to a 1-year deal. The hope, though, is that he’d force their hand with his play, offering production that’s so robust Kwesi Adofo-Mensah feels compelled to extend him for the long haul.
An ankle injury has kept the pass rusher on the sidelines, but he’s moving in the right direction. After not practising on Wednesday, Davenport got some limited work in on Thursday. On Friday, the team clarified that he’s questionable for the Week 4 game.
The concern is that rushing Davenport back onto the field will result in an injury that’s far worse than what he’s already experiencing. Nevertheless, there’s also some concern that the season could fully slip away before he gets the chance to contribute to wins. Losing in Week 4 would almost certainly be the death knell for 2023, especially since the Chiefs await in Week 5 and the 49ers are lingering in Week 7.
Bryce Young looks like he’s ready to roll in Carolina, per Tom Pelissero. In some ways, that’s good news for the Vikings. The rookie is talented — of that there can be little doubt — but he’s still a rookie who has much to learn. Expect Brian Flores to get the upper hand on the youngster, dialing up complex blitzes that force Young into passes he’s not 100% comfortable making.
So far, Young has completed 59.2% of his passes for just 299 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs. Seeing him light up Minnesota’s secondary would be a surefire signal that Vikings fans need to buckle up for a long year defensively.
The game is scheduled for 12 p.m. CDT on Sunday, October 1st. A failure to overcome the winless start to the year will mean Minnesota must begin looking toward success in 2024. In that scenario, trades would almost certainly be upcoming.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
