Vikings’ $22 Million Missing Piece Unlikely for Primetime vs. Rams

Getty Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings starting linebacker Blake Cashman‘s absence was evident in the team’s 31-29 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 7 — and it looks unlikely he’ll be ready in time for a Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed local media on Monday, October 21, and said that while Cashman is “progressing” from a turf toe injury, he is unsure whether Cashman will be ready with the quick turnaround from Sunday’s loss.

“I’m not in a place yet to rule him out quite yet,” O’Connell said, adding that he feels “very positive” about Cashman’s return for their Week 9 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, which was flexed to Sunday night’s primetime slot.

Signed to a three-year, $22.5 million deal in March, Cashman was the Vikings’ leading tackler through the first five games of the season. He also wears the “green dot,” relaying Brian Flores’ play calls to his teammates.

Without Cashman, the Vikings’ defense looked out of position several times against the league’s top-ranked offense in Detroit. His replacement, Kamu Grugier-Hill, lost contain on a play in the first quarter that allowed Jahmyr Gibbs to score and cut into what was a 10-point lead to open the game.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis had a similar takeaway from the tape, seeing how different the Vikings’ coverage was without Cashman.

“He just constricts space in these zone coverages at such a high level. Just felt like the field was wider without him,” Lewis wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

O’Connell added that T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Risner would be added to the 53-man roster this week as both players return from injury.

Vikings Defenders Address Sore Points in Loss to Lions

GettyThe Lions celebrate a touchdown in a 31-29 win over the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 20, 2024.

While missing Cashman was a detriment to the Vikings’ defense, there were collective mistakes that ultimately led to their worst outing of the season.

Cam Bynum addressed missing a chance to stop Gibbs on his 45-yard first-quarter touchdown. Grugier-Hill was hesitant coming downhill, leaving a crease that Gibbs zipped through and juked Bynum before hitting the edge.

“He’s really good in open space so that made it a challenge,” Bynum said, per Vikings.com. “That’s just not good enough by me – coming down for a one-on-one tackle, I have to play inside out, don’t let him cut back on me. And I take full ownership on that play. … I’ve done it before and I know that next time it happens, my feet will be good and I’m making that tackle, so that’s 100% on me.”

While that run by Gibbs kickstarted the Lions offense, it was Jared Goff who carried the team and remained unflustered by an onslaught of pressure from the Vikings defense.

“They knew exactly where the sweet spots and the soft spots of the defense [were] going to be,” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “Hats off to them. They [saw] what they liked and continued to hit on it.”

Vikings DC Brian Flores Has Met His Match

GettyMinnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

While Flores was a menace to every quarterback the Vikings have faced through five games, Goff truly got the better of him. His 22-of-25 pass completions for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns is no fluke, either.

In three games against Flores, Goff has completed 75-of-97 pass attempts (77.3%) for 857 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The Lions have averaged 30.3 points per game in those matchups, while the Vikings have allowed just 18.9 points per game against the rest of their competition.

Flores blitzed Goff on 58.6% of his dropbacks on Sunday, creating 17 pressures and four sacks. However, Goff was far from rattled and proved Minnesota will have to do more to halt the Lions offense.