PLAYER NOTES
–CB Trae Waynes was cleared from concussion protocol and returned to practice on Wednesday on a limited basis. Waynes missed last week’s win because of the concussion but said he feels “good, ready to go.”
–RB Dalvin Cook was limited on Wednesday to start the week’s practices as he tries to come back from a hamstring injury. Cook was held out of last week’s game because of the injury, his second time being inactive in three weeks. Cook has totaled 36 carries in three games this season.
–LT Riley Reiff didn’t practice on Wednesday as he deals with a foot injury. Reiff was a full participant in last week’s practices but had to leave Sunday’s game early because of the injury. Rashod Hill moved to left tackle in place of Reiff with rookie Brian O’Neill taking Hill’s spot at right tackle.
–S Andrew Sendejo was new to the injury report this week and he didn’t practice on Wednesday because of a groin injury. Sendejo played every snap of Sunday’s game.
–DE Tashawn Bower missed Wednesday’s practice due to an ankle injury. Bower hasn’t practiced since being limited on Oct. 3.
–CB/RS Marcus Sherels returned to full practice on Wednesday from a ribs injury. Sherels was limited all last week in practice and was inactive for Sunday’s win at Philadelphia. Sherels has missed three games with the injury.
–DE Everson Griffen was still missing as the team returned to practice on Wednesday to prepare for Sunday’s game against Arizona. Griffen, who is dealing with a mental health issue, has missed three games.
–WR Tavarres King was released by the Vikings on Tuesday from the injured reserve list.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: T Rashod Hill. With Riley Reiff missing practice on Wednesday, left tackle duties may slide to Hill, who would have to try and stop Arizona defensive end Chandler Jones. Jones, who has four sacks this season, is coming off NFC defensive player of the week honors after he dominated San Francisco last weekend. Jones had six tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection. Hill doesn’t have much experience on the left side and he would be responsible for slowing one of the league’s top pass rushers.
GAME PLAN: Minnesota has followed the league’s trend to a pass-first offense with quarterback Kirk Cousins and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and it’s hard to see that changing at home against Arizona. The Cardinals have top-notch cornerback Patrick Peterson, but the Vikings can counter with a top duo at cornerback that creates mismatches. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are both among the top 10 in the NFL in catches this season, while Cousins has the second most passing yards in the league.
Minnesota coaches have talked about wanting more balance offensively, and did turn to more of a running attack late in the win against Philadelphia. This week could offer a chance for the Vikings to finally get going on the ground with the Cardinals giving up 142.4 rushing yards per game, the second highest total in the league. But DeFilippo knows what has worked best for Minnesota this season and that is allowing Cousins and the receivers to hit explosive plays and dictate matchups.
Defensively, head coach Mike Zimmer will surely look to bring pressure against rookie quarterback Josh Rosen, who will be making his third NFL start. Defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Stephen Weatherly along with tackle Sheldon Richardson have combined for eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits. Minnesota will need to make sure to keep an eye on speedy rookie receiver Christian Kirk, who has shown good rapport with Rosen and an ability to get deep, and running back David Johnson, who has been utilized more the past two weeks.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Vikings WR Stefon Diggs vs. Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson. Peterson is one of the league’s top shadow cornerbacks but Arizona will have to pick its spots with Peterson because of the effectiveness of Diggs and Adam Thielen. Peterson will most likely draw Diggs on the outside with Thielen playing out of the slot. Diggs against Peterson is one of the prime receiver-cornerback matchups the league can offer this season and it will be fun to watch two of the league’s best at their position matching up.
–Vikings LB Eric Kendricks vs. Cardinals RB David Johnson. Kendricks will likely draw a lot of the responsibility for covering Johnson, whether it’s stopping the run or following Johnson out of the backfield. Johnson had a slow start to the season, but Arizona has gotten him going the past two weeks with more usage. He had 20 total touches last week for 71 yards and two touchdowns. The previous week he had a season-high 22 carries and added 41 yards receiving. Minnesota has given up 18 catches for 275 yards to running backs this season.
