The Vikings walked out of Week 9 with more than a loss to Buffalo. They also came away with a real problem in the middle of their defense, and it could matter fast with Green Bay coming to town.
Blake Cashman left Minnesota’s 23-6 defeat against the Bills early after suffering a concussion and never made it back onto the field after being evaluated in the blue medical tent. Even in limited action, he still finished tied for the team lead with 12 tackles, while also adding two pass deflections and a tackle for loss.
That uncertainty carried straight into the first Week 10 injury report. Cashman was listed as “DNP” in Minnesota’s first practice of the week because he is in concussion protocol, and NFL rules require him to stay there for at least five days. With a short week ahead, there is now legitimate concern about whether he’ll be available for the Packers game.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed Cashman’s situation while speaking to reporters, and his comments didn’t exactly clear the air.
"We won’t be on the field until tomorrow, but did want to give you guys the projected injury report later this afternoon. I know you’ll get it, but the one that I wanted to make sure I mentioned was Blake Cashman.
"He had the kind of the stinger evaluation going on and then did end up taking a hit, or more than likely giving a hit late on that, later on in that game. And he is currently in the concussion protocol. So, obviously, with a short week, he’s doing really, really well, but I’ll keep you guys posted on him."
Cashman has been playing at a level that makes this a major storyline for Minnesota. He has 76 tackles, 10 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, seven pass deflections, 4.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery, numbers that point to a career year.
The advanced metrics back it up, too. Pro Football Focus has him second among 79 eligible linebackers with an 86.8 overall grade. He also owns an 82.6 coverage grade, which ranks third, along with a 69.3 run-defense grade and an 82.0 pass-rush grade, both of which show how much he does for this defense.
What makes this especially tricky for the Vikings is how Brian Flores has used him this season. Cashman has not just been sitting back and cleaning things up. Flores has leaned on him as a blitzer, and he has delivered, logging 16 pressures so far.
He has also been one of the better coverage linebackers in the league, allowing a 75.9 passer rating this season. That matters against a Packers offense that ranks second in the NFL in passing yards per game at 279.7.
If Cashman can’t go, Minnesota would be missing a defender who helps both chase Jordan Love and cut off the middle of the field against tight ends and wide receivers working across the formation. The Vikings still have a few days to see how he responds, but right now his status is very much up in the air.
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