The Atlanta Falcons are set to kick off their prime time schedule Sunday night when they travel to U.S. Bank Stadium to take on the Minnesota Vikings in their home opener.
It turns out the Vikings are going to be without three key pieces when the Dirty Birds roll into town. Former first round pick, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, former first round pick and ex-Falcons corner Jeff Okudah, and defensive havoc maker and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, and play caller and green dot recipient, Brian Cashman.
Okudah’s injury was a frustrating one as he was on the field for the final play of the team’s Monday night game against the Chicago Bears. During that lateral play while the Bears searched for a miracle, Okudah took an inadvertent hit from a teammate.
Coming off a short week, the starting corner was unable to clear concussion protocol and is now officially out.
Andrew Van Ginkel, who has quietly been one of the most consistent edge rushers in the NFL, will also miss the prime time clash. His concussion will weaken a linebacking unit that took a massive blow when the team put Brian Cashman on the IR earlier this week.
Brian Cashman Loses The Green Dot
In the NFL, helmets marked with a green dot mean they are the one player on the defense/offense that has direct communication with the coach. They are in charge of getting the play in, communicating with teammates, and aligning the defense.
Brian Cashman was that player. But after a hamstring injury suffered in the Bears game landed him on the IR, the team went searching for a replacement.
Fortunately the team has Eric Wilson. Wilson started his career with the Vikings back in 2017. He played four seasons in Minneapolis before bouncing around with a few teams. Now he is back with the team on a one-year minimum deal and will assume a huge responsibility.
“After Wilson and Ivan Pace, Jr., who filled the void (left by Cashman) as best they could, Minnesota has sixth-round rookie Kobe King and undrafted rookie Austin Keys listed on the depth chart. Both played special teams in Week 1,” wrote Vikings’ writer Rob Klelfled.
Things are not looking good for a weakened linebacking unit coming off short rest and minimal preparation.
Christian Darrisaw Unusual Injury Progression
Darrisaw was expected to make his return last week after tearing his ACL in the 2024 season. He was given a “50 percent chance” to play and speculation was further fueled by the tackle being on the field for pre game workouts. However, he did not suit up. It has been 323 days since his surgery, and head coach Kevin O’Connell said Darrisaw was simply out there to get a feel for the game, not actually play.
“There was a thought of wanting to just make sure that we completed the weekly process,” O’Connell said. “specifically knowing that we had the extra day and then allowing Christian to go feel the atmosphere and start getting his mind in that place where he could go, and it was a total positive from that standpoint.”
He reiterated that there were no set backs, and that his recovery was going as planned.
Still, this is a huge miss on the Vikings line playing a hungry Falcons’ pass rush.
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