Not having Blake Cashman will be a significant setback… once again. Minnesota Vikings fans and coaches have come to appreciate just how much Cashman compensates for on defense, thanks to his elite coverage skills and exceptional football IQ. He’s the ideal inside linebacker for what defensive coordinator Brian Flores aims to achieve. Without him, second-year ILB Ivan Pace Jr. has struggled to deliver consistent pass coverage, often becoming a target when the Vikings apply pressure. Can Flores devise a strategy to counter what opposing veteran quarterbacks have exploited against Minnesota’s defense in the past two games?
This is crucial, especially since Joe Flacco is exactly the kind of quarterback the Vikings have had difficulties with lately. If those defensive weaknesses remain unaddressed, Sunday could be a challenging night for Vikings supporters.
### Injury Updates: Evans Questionable, Quessenberry Ready to Play
On the defensive side, Akayleb Evans is listed as “questionable” on the practice report. The third-year cornerback from Missouri hasn’t seen much action on defense since general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore in the offseason. Evans is one of the trade pieces the Vikings may consider during Monday’s deadline discussions. We’ll see if he ends up being active just before those negotiations intensify.
Another notable name absent from this week’s final injury report is backup left tackle David Quessenberry. He stepped in mid-game last week when Darrisaw went down with a knee injury. With Quessenberry cleared to play, will we see less of new starting left tackle Cam Robinson?
Had Quessenberry, who was listed as “limited” in practice earlier in the week, been unable to play, Robinson would likely have taken all the snaps at left tackle against the Colts. Now that Quessenberry is healthy, will he get more playing time, reducing Robinson’s role? We’ll find out on Sunday night football.
