While the Minnesota Vikings haven't gotten out of the gate the way they planned this season, they got a bit of good news heading into their showdown with the Detroit Lions. Two of their prized offensive linemen are expected to suit up for today's game at Ford Field.
"Both Vikings starting OTs listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, Brian O'Neill and Christian Darrisaw, both are expected to play vs. the Lions (5-2), per sources," NFL insider Adam Schefter posted on X late on Saturday night.
That's good news for the Vikings (3-4), who surrendered five sacks last week's 37-10 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Minnesota has surrendered 28 sacks in its seven games this season.
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“Whether it was (because of playing in) Dublin, going into London, the high snap count, or it’s just the fact that we have Christian on a plan of attack every week. Based on the idea of the type of injury he’s coming back from, I’m not going to go into detail with what that injury was, but I would just say there is a layer to Christian doing everything he can,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis.
“But when he has a higher snap count or you’re on a very short week of travel and everything, there’s just only so much that we can do.”
That's good news for second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy. The former first-round pick will get the start in the Motor City today. The Vikes need a victory to keep pace in the ultra-competitive NFC North division. They are currently in last place, trailing the Packers, Lions, and Bears, respectively. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 PM ET.