First injury report ahead of the big division showdown
The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions have issued their first injury reports of the week, in advance of Sunday’s matchup of the two top teams in the best division in football.
Here they are.
Detroit Lions
- CB Carlton Davis, Quad, did not practice (DNP)
- C Frank Ragnow, Rest, DNP
- OT Dan Skipper, Ribs, DNP
- RG Kevin Zeitler, Rest, DNP
- S Brian Branch, Knee, Limited
- G Christian Mahogany, illness, Full Participant
For the Lions, center Frank Ragnow has been dealing with a few minor injuries for over a year really and usually doesn’t practice a lot, but almost always plays. He missed a game ahead of the Lions’ bye week this season, but has recovered and is listed as just having a veteran rest day. Veteran starting guard Kevin Zeitler is the same in that regard.
The big one on the list is Carlton Davis, who Dan Campbell said he was optimistic that he would play on Sunday but did not practice today with a quad injury. He is a starting outside corner for the Lions, so if he was not able to go, that would be a significant loss.
Starting safety Brian Branch is also on the injury list, although being limited I suspect he is likely to play on Sunday.
Christian Mahogany and Dan Skipper are backups, so if either were not able to go it wouldn’t be a significant loss. Skipper comes in famously for Detroit fans on occasion as a tackle eligible.
Minnesota Vikings
- LB Blake Cashman, Toe, DNP
- CB Akayleb Evans, Hip, DNP
- EDGE Patrick Jones II, Shoulder, DNP
- RB Aaron Jones Sr., Hamstring, DNP
- DT Harrison Phillips, Shoulder, DNP
- TE T.J. Hockenson, Knee, Limited
- G Dalton Risner, Back, Limited
- S Theo Jackson, Hand, Full Participant
- TE Josh Oliver, Wrist, Full Participant
Lots of Vikings on the injury list, especially considering they just got done with a bye week. Kevin O’Connell only mentioned Cashman, Jones, and Hockenson in his press conference today, so I’m guessing the others aren’t significant injuries. Risner said he was 100% earlier this week.
Cashman has turf toe, which he suffered in the Jets game, and KOC said he was day-to-day. My guess is that Jones and Hockenson will play on Sunday as reports from practice indicate they’ve both been looking good and moving well in practice.
But overall more questions than answers with this injury list, but with mixed optimism that all the key players on the list will play on Sunday.
Local beat reporter Darren Wolfson said he wasn’t sure if they’d play Hockenson on Sunday even if he was ready to go since they have a Thursday game next week as well- saying that might be a bit aggressive. But from what I’ve seen and read, he seems to be ready to go so not sure they’d hold him back from a big divisional game if that was the case.
Local beat reporter Andrew Krammer said he heard from a couple sources that Cashman won’t play on Sunday and could potentially miss Thursday’s game against the Rams as well. KOC seemed to keep the door open for Cashman playing, but also said Ivan Pace, Josh Metellus and Kamu Grugier-Hill would have bigger roles if Cashman couldn’t go.
We should hopefully get more details on these injuries and updated statuses throughout the week, so stay tuned.
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