Taking a look at the Minnesota Vikings' final injury report ahead of their Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Minnesota Vikings are getting ready to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, which could turn out to be a very entertaining game.
With that said, health is going to be key in this Week 3 matchup, so let's take a look at the Vikings' final injury report.
For the most part, the Vikings are in a pretty spot when it comes to injuries as there are only two players ruled out on the injury report.
In terms of players who are good to go, that includes linebacker Jake Golday (ankle), running backs Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) and DeeJay Dallas (toe), defensive linemen Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (oblique) and Jalen Redmond (elbow), offensive tackles Brian O'Neill (knee) and Christian Darrisaw (rest), and safety Harrison Smith (rest).
After seeing these injuries, the Vikings have to feel solid, as a lot of players on this report have key rotational roles and are going to be able to play.
In particular, on the offensive side, the Vikings will have Darrisaw, O'Neill, Jones, and Dallas, which is going to be huge for the ability of the offense to have a successful day with quarterback Kyler Murray back in the lineup.
For Minnesota to have a good day, establishing the run is going to be key, and having Darrisaw and O'Neill at tackle will be great to be able to move the Buccaneers' defensive line, and then to have a solid running back duo will be great for the Vikings to be able to take advantage of the open rushing lanes.
Looking at the defensive side, with Golday, Ingram-Dawkins, Redmond, and Smith being able to play, it appears that defensive coordinator Brian Flores will have his unit mostly healthy which could help the defense to have another solid week.
On the other hand, when it comes to players who have been ruled out, that includes punter Brett Thorson and center Nick Samac.
With Thorson out, that is a big blow, but the Vikings have elevated punter Johnny Hekker from the practice squad which should give Minnesota a reliable presence at punter against Tampa Bay.
As a result of Samac being out, it will be interesting to see who could step in as the backup center, but the expectation is that Joe Huber will serve as the backup center and is a solid overall backup option on the interior.
So, heading into Sunday, it will be interesting to see how the Vikings perform against the Buccaneers and how the result of this injury report may impact Minnesota's ability to get to 3-0.
