Looks Like the Vikings Will be Shorthanded on Defense as they Try to Secure the NFC in Week 18
After the 27-25 victory over the Packers, the Vikings find themselves in an enviable position: competing for the top spot in the NFC when they travel to Ford Field for the Week 18 tilt against the Lions. Even better, the game is taking place in primetime, as Adam Schefter clarified.
The bad news is that edge rusher Patrick Jones II is looking like a long shot to be available for the game. Kevin O’Connell spoke to the media following the game. While doing so, he tried to leave room for hope about his defender while nevertheless acknowledging that some time in the infirmary seems likely for the team’s backup pass rusher.
The Vikings, Patrick Jones, and Week 18
First off, the update from the head coach.
“So he did, kind of, it’s a right knee injury,” O’Connell explains, “hopefully we avoided kind of a super long-term injury but I won’t know much more than that until he gets fully evaluated. But expecting him probably to miss a little bit of time. Like I said, I don’t know what that looks like as of right now.”
At least a few factors are at play in O’Connell’s response.
The coach’s personality is one that lends itself to optimism. He tends to see the glass as being half full. With that being said, he’s also a coach who tends to play things cautiously with injuries, preferring to give his players plenty of time to get back to 100% rather than rushing a guy back before he’s fully ready.
Finally, there’s the genuine ignorance that comes from just finishing the game. O’Connell knows that something happened to Jones’ knee but he understandably doesn’t have too much more to go on than that. He’s therefore projecting a bit of time off — likely Week 18, at least — while still leaving the door open for the defender to work his way back into the mix.
After all, the Vikings are careening toward the playoffs. Missing a week or two isn’t necessarily the end for Jones and the 2024 Vikings.
Not everyone is pleased with the play where Jones got hurt. Consider, for instance, Jonathan Greenard’s reaction online:
Losing Jones would mean that the Vikings need to lean on Dallas Turner more. The rookie isn’t lacking for talent but has had a slower season than many anticipated. The good news is simply that recent weeks have featured Turner making some notable plays, such as his sack on Jordan Love in the most recent game.
The 6’4″, 264-pound Jones is working on the final year of his rookie deal. Originally, he entered the NFL in the 2021 NFL Draft as the No. 90 pick. His career has mostly been modest, but the 2024 season has involved the defender snagging 39 tackles, 7 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 9 tackles for loss. All of those numbers are career highs.
Jones is 26.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.
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