Regretfully, it is hard to overlook the fact that one of the Vikings’ most prominent stories of 2023 has been injuries. Week 8’s Achilles tear to Kirk Cousins was a devastating, game-altering blow.
Justin Jefferson missed two games in part and seven games in total. Marcus Davenport has missed the entire season. Following Sunday’s loss against the Lions, T.J. Hockenson,
D.J. Wonnum and Jordan Addison sustained injuries. It appears that Hockenson and Wonnum’s seasons are now finished.
The Vikings will now need to rely on their depth if they are to come back and win their final two games to squeak into the playoffs.
To see what we can learn, let’s examine the offensive and defensive snap counts from the Detroit game.
Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Lions (out of 54)
- QB Nick Mullens: 54
- LT Christian Darrisaw: 54
- C Garrett Bradbury: 54
- RG Ed Ingram: 54
- LG Dalton Risner: 54
- RT David Quessenberry: 54
- WR Justin Jefferson: 53
- WR K.J. Osborn: 46
- RB Ty Chandler: 35
- WR Brandon Powell: 27
- TE T.J. Hockenson: 24
- TE Johnny Mundt: 22
- WR Jordan Addison: 21
- TE Josh Oliver: 19
- FB C.J. Ham: 17
- RB Alexander Mattison: 5
- WR Lucky Jackson: 1
Hockenson and Addison were in the locker room for the majority of the second half of Sunday’s game, and the Vikings relied heavily on players like Mundt and Powell in the passing game. Mullens tossed for 411 yards that day, and those two, along with Oliver, all had at least one big chunk reception.
After recovering from an ankle ailment, Mattison played in just five snaps and two carries, losing one yard, while Chandler was the primary backfield player. In this game, the Vikings were unable to get much going on the ground.
In lieu of the injured Brian O’Neill at right tackle, Quessenberry received another start.
Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Lions (out of 79)
- S Camryn Bynum: 79
- S Harrison Smith: 79
- S Josh Metellus: 79
- LB Jordan Hicks: 79
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 74
- CB Akayleb Evans: 65
- OLB, D.J. Wonnum: 60
- DT Jonathan Bullard: 59
- DT Harrison Phillips: 58
- OLB Pat Jones II: 54
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 39
- CB Andrew Booth Jr: 38
- LB Ivan Pace Jr: 30
- DT Sheldon Day: 25
- S Theo Jackson: 15
- CB Jaylin Williams: 13
- DT Khyiris Tonga: 12
- DT Jaquelin Roy: 4
- S Jay Ward: 4
- OLB Andre Carter II: 1
When the Vikings faced the Lions, twenty different defensive players saw action on the field. Regretfully, Wonnum’s season will end due to a quad injury he sustained late in the game. Jones, who had a fantastic game against Detroit, will therefore start the remaining games in the starting lineup. Additionally, Booth had a season-high number of snaps because of Blackmon’s shoulder injury.
After being placed on injured reserve, Hicks quickly resumed his position as Pace’s go-to green dot for every down, a position he had occupied for the previous four games. Pace had a poor recovery and continued to see the field in a rotational capacity.
It’s interesting to hear that Evans was benched toward the end of the game. Relying on Williams, an undrafted rookie making his NFL debut, the Vikings made their decision. Byron Murphy Jr. and Blackmon’s absences meant that the Vikings had to use their Nos. 4 and 5 cornerbacks in the final moments. There were also several snaps in the secondary for Jackson and Ward.
Top 10 in special team snaps
- Troy Dye: 22
- Andre Carter II: 20
- Jay Ward: 19
- Ivan Pace Jr: 19
- Theo Jackson: 18
- Brian Asamoah II: 16
- C.J. Ham: 15
- NaJee Thompson: 12
- Lucky Jackson: 12
- Johnny Mundt: 12
