On Sunday, the Vikings sealed a 34-28 walk-off victory in overtime against the Carolina Panthers with an excellent pass from QB Kirk Cousins to WR K.J. Osborn on the opening possession of extra time. The Vikings will now head into their Week 7 bye at 3-3 following a 2 game win streak, which will give Head Coach Mike Zimmer some time to get his team prepared to face an onslaught of playoff contenders in the following weeks. Unfortunately for the Vikings, CB Patrick Peterson won't be available to help.
#Vikings announce they're placing Patrick Peterson on injured reserve. He left with what the team called cramps on Sunday, after a long incompletion to D.J. Moore. That means the Vikings won't have him for at least three weeks.
— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) October 18, 2021
During the fourth quarter, Peterson left the contest against Carolina after defending a pass against WR D.J. Moore in noticeable pain as he limped and was assisted off the field. Initially the Vikings disclosed the issue as cramps but today the team placed Peterson on IR with what has been labelled a hamstring injury. A move that will force Peterson to miss at least 3 games. At the earliest, Peterson will be able to return to the team for their Week 11 matchup against the Packers, barring any setbacks to his recovery of course.
In the meantime, the Vikings will heavily rely on the trio of Bashaud Breeland, Cameron Dantzler and Mackensie Alexander as their leading cornerbacks. Replacing Peterson will not be easy as he was the teams top corner and one of the Vikings' key free-agent acquisitions this past offseason; over the last 3 contests he has allowed 9 completions on 19 attempts and recorded 2 pass deflections according to PFF.
Patrick Peterson forced two key pass breakups on third down on Sunday. He's been worth every penny in coverage this season: pic.twitter.com/hoEkNOJifJ
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) October 12, 2021
The Vikings do have a bit of available cap-space to potentially make a move before the trade deadline in order to solidify their depth. How do you think the Vikings will manage without Peterson?
Photo Credit © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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