The Vikings’ interior offensive line is suddenly a little more fragile heading into Sunday’s trip to Detroit, and that’s not exactly new territory for a team that has already spent much of the season patching things together up front.
Minnesota is 6-0 and will face the Lions, who are 4-2, at Ford Field in an NFC North matchup on Sunday. But with left guard Donovan Jackson already on injured reserve after tearing his meniscus earlier this month, the Vikings are still searching for stability at the position. They also came up short in the trade market, missing out on Pro Bowler Quenton Nelson, who was dealt by the Colts to Seattle on Tuesday instead of Minnesota.
Then came Wednesday’s practice report, and with it another concern. Head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters that both Aaron Jones and Joe Huber would be out of practice to start the week.
“Injury update-wise, Aaron Jones and Joe Huber will not practice today. We’ll see how they feel tomorrow.
Joe really just had some knee soreness kind of pop up post-game, and as we’ve gotten into the early part of the week, not overly concerned about it. We just want to give him another day and then see what his workweek looks like as we press onward.”
Huber’s absence stands out because he has become the next man up at left guard since Jackson went down. The undrafted swing lineman has settled into the role and, in Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Colts, turned in his best outing of the year according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with a 70.5 overall grade and a team-high 82.8 pass-blocking grade.
Jones’ situation is a separate issue, but it adds another layer to the Vikings’ injury picture. He sat out Wednesday after aggravating his left knee against Indianapolis.
O’Connell had already called him day to day on Monday, and Jones has been playing through a sprained MCL in that knee since Week 2. Through that stretch, he has totaled 436 rushing yards on 105 carries this season.
For now, the biggest checkpoint is Thursday’s official injury report. If Huber still isn’t able to get on the practice field, his chances of suiting up Sunday would take a serious hit.
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For Minnesota, the reminder is obvious: a back like Taylor changes the feel of a game and gives an offense a different kind of edge. It is easy to see why his fit would be appealing here, even if the reality around any pursuit is more complicated, with no indication the Colts are eager to move him. [Read more 🡒]