Vikings optimistic for Lb’s return this season post shin surgery.
Injury update: Vikings looking forward to Jordan Hicks’ return this season after Shin surgery
Injuries have been piling up for the Minnesota Vikings this season, but there may be some good news on the horizon. On Tuesday, Vikings DC Brian Flores spoke to the media and expressed optimism that MLB Jordan Hicks will be able to return this year.
Hicks was placed on injured reserve last month after suffering a shin injury against New Orleans Saints that left him with compartment syndrome. He has been active in the development of the injury and has attended practices.
The Vikings have gone 0-2 in his absence.
“I’m optimistic,” Flores said, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “I think Jordan will be able to play again this year.”
Hicks attended meetings and remained close to the Vikings’ practice facility, according to Flores. He played in 10 regular-season games this season, totaling 87 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FR, multiple FR, 4 FR, 4 DR, and 1 DE. He also scored one defensive TD.
Hicks began his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played in 43 regular-season games over four seasons. He had his best season in 2016, recording 85 tackles, 1 FR, 5 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 FF, and 11 DR. After one year with the Eagles, he moved to Arizona for three seasons, averaging more than 100 tackles per season. His best season came in 2019, when he logged 150 stops with 1.5 FR, 3 INT, 2 FR, 2 FR, 1 FR, 6 DR, and 6 DR.
In an injury-plagued season for Quarterbacks, no one knows what to expect.
Jake Browning was brilliant in the victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he can do that, anything can happen with the Vikings’ quarterback situation.
The night of August 1, 2021 saw Jake Browning be the only quarterback on the field for the Minnesota Vikings’ annual night practice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, quarterback Kirk Cousins, quarterback Kellen Mond and quarterback Nate Stanley were all unavailable for the night practice.
The former Washington Husky led the offense under the lights, pushing the ball deep into the red zone for a handful of plays that ignited the crowd and gave the first, second and even third team a chance to have a good night of work.
When it was all said and done, the crowd erupted in ovation for Jake Browning as he and his teammates gathered around him.
The next day the Vikings undrafted free agent quarterback talked about how he was developing and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said that he appreciated the way Browning sought out coaching and was trying endlessly to improve.
A few days later, the shine wore off the night practice when Browning struggled in a preseason matchup against the Denver Broncos and he was ultimately cut in favor of Mond and Sean Mannion, who was brought back to Minnesota after getting let go by Seattle.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Browning said after completing 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns in Monday Night Football’s 34-31 win over Jacksonville.
The emergence of Browning comes a few weeks after the emergence of Josh Dobbs, who became America’s Favorite Backup when he came off the bench in mid-week to beat the Falcons in his Vikings debut.
But Browning and Dobbs aren’t the only stories of second-year quarterbacks coming out of nowhere to win wild games.
Gardner Minshew led the Colts to a 13-3 record and a playoff berth.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard the name Tommy DeVito. He’s won his past two games.
The Vikings’ next opponent is fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell, who has two wins, including a 30-point outburst against the Giants a few weeks ago.
The emergence of Browning comes a few weeks after the emergence of Josh Dobbs, who became America’s Favorite Backup when he came off the bench in mid-week to beat the Falcons in his Vikings debut.
But Browning and Dobbs aren’t the only stories of second-year quarterbacks coming out of nowhere to win wild games.
Gardner Minshew led the Colts to a 13-3 record and a playoff berth.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard the name Tommy DeVito. He’s won his past two games.
The Vikings’ next opponent is fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell, who has two wins, including a 30-point outburst against the Giants a few weeks ago.
Before Monday, we would have considered the Raiders and Bengals very winnable because they are missing Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) and Joe Burrow (shoulder). That ground is now much more level. Would anyone be surprised if, next time out, Browning throws four picks?
We are living in a world where Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy has become a legitimate MVP candidate. The second MVP quarterback candidate is the fourth-rounder, Jalen Hurts. Remember when the NFL didn’t think he could throw coming out of college? Jordan Love had a bad game five weeks ago. Now the NBC broadcast is running graphics comparing him to Aaron Rodgers.
What are we to make of all this? That things are spinning out of control and we all need to find something solid to hold on to?
When it comes to the Vikings’ decision-making process at quarterback, all they have to do is press a button, shut their eyes and hang their heads. Is Josh Dobbs the clear-cut answer to Nick Mullens? Or is there a case to be made that he’s the better of the two.
Mullens put together one of his best performances of the season in his first start against the Raiders, racking up a season-high 262 passing yards and three scores. He then lost his next three games.
You could argue that Dobbs, with his athleticism, gives them the best chance to win and the worst chance to lose, but Browning has had half the Combine showing of Dobbs and looked like Ken Anderson at his peak.
How much of the good play from backups is pure randomness, and how much of it is coaching? Zac Taylor has dialed up weird trick plays that go awry (we’ve seen this one before), but his game plan for Browning includes play-action rolls and quick throws. (Don’t mention it to Packers fans, but it looked a lot like how LaFleur was scheming for Love against Kansas City.)
Following the Chicago game, where O’Connell appeared to overload a career backup who had just arrived a month before, this will be a case study to see if he can adjust more to Dobbs.
Offensively, the veteran QB could benefit from pre-snap motion on Justin Jefferson, throws into the flat, throws underneath to Hockenson, and rollouts to the deep game. It would also make sense to give him more opportunity to use his legs by design rather than forcing him into a full-on NASA Vick mode.
But it’s not easy to have big takeaways for any coach when it comes to backup QBs. On the other hand, if it works, the coach seems like a genius. After all, who wasn’t ready to praise O’Connell post-New Orleans? Was Robert Salah dumb because he was stuck with Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle? It’s safe to say he’d look smarter if Aaron Rodgers’ tendons hadn’t burst.
So what happens next? The Vikings could have the perfect game plan and blow it because Dobbs, Mullens, or Hall fumbles or Aidan O’Connell and Browning blow it and the Vikings could wind up 8-6 heading into a three-gamer that will decide their playoff hopes.
The fact that we just don’t know what’s going to happen in Roger’s name in the next few weeks makes it feel even more like the future is beyond our grasp. Will the Vikings allow this five-game stretch to decide their future at quarterback? Will Dobbs play well enough to bring him back? Or will Dobbs play poorly enough that they call Kirk Cousins and ask him to state his price? Or, given the wildness of trying to determine who the hell is good at playing quarterback, could the Vikings roll the dice this off-season? Hey, it’s no accident that Browning has a star receiver out of LSU, right?
As a result, the post-game mood for Vikings fans will likely be one of unease and frustration. After all, the Vikings have missed the playoffs or been eliminated in the wild card round too many times in recent years, but this year feels a lot more mysterious than previous years. It is difficult to have expectations, but it is reasonable to be frustrated if this talented Vikings team, with an offensive coach and talented weapons, misses the playoffs because of Cousins’ injury. It is also difficult to ignore the positive draft ramifications that missing the playoffs could have.
As a result, the post-game mood for Vikings fans will likely be one of unease and frustration. After all, the Vikings have missed the playoffs or been eliminated in the wild card round too many times in recent years, but this year feels a lot more mysterious than previous years. It is difficult to have expectations, but it is reasonable to be frustrated if this talented Vikings team, with an offensive coach and talented weapons, misses the playoffs because of Cousins’ injury. It is also difficult to ignore the positive draft ramifications that missing the playoffs could have.
