With quarterback J.J. McCarthy expected to be ready for a “full week” of practice ahead of a potential return Nov. 2 at the Detroit Lions, coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday that the reeling Vikings (3-4) may also have both starting tackles.
Quarterback Carson Wentz had just one of the Vikings’ premier bookends — left tackle Christian Darrisaw, for nine plays — during Thursday night’s 37-10 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers. Darrisaw took himself out of the game while trying to play on a surgically-repaired left knee that felt the burden of having played all 69 snaps against the Eagles just four days prior.
“I do feel positive about where both Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are today,” O’Connell said, “and hopefully in regards to their work week next week and leading into being available.”
O’Connell’s Vikings enter the mini-bye week, which comes with an extra three days’ rest and an additional practice on Monday, with some soul searching to do after losing by the second-worst point margin (-27) and third-worst yardage margin (-255) in the coach’s 3½ seasons.
McCarthy, who returned to practice last week for the first time since the Sept. 14 high ankle sprain, continued his on-field work Friday, O’Connell said. Players arrived back to their cars at the facility around 5 a.m. following Thursday night’s drubbing.
“We can’t look at it as an outlier. We have to find a way to find our rhythm, find our identity as a group,” O’Connell said. “With J.J., he’ll play an integral part of that from a standpoint of his ability to throw completions, his ability to get our playmakers involved, and his ability to use his athleticism that we saw early on in the season.”
O’Neill did not play against the Chargers because of soreness in his left knee, which is separate from the injured right knee that kept him out of the Oct. 5 win vs. the Browns.
Darrisaw continues to manage his left knee that suffered two torn ligaments one year ago Friday. He has not played full back-to-back games yet this season. After playing overseas twice and across the country on a short week, the Vikings’ schedule settles into a more normal routine.