Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman will miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered while chasing Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams in the season-opening win over the Bears, leaving the defense without a vital player.
Cashman pulled up limping late in the third quarter after Williams scrambled away from the pass rush and raced around the right end for a 13-yard run on second-and-6. The seventh-year veteran was ruled out for the rest of the game soon after that.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that kickoff returner Ty Chandler, the team's third running back, will also miss multiple weeks with a knee injury he suffered in Chicago. Chandler played through the injury during a 33-yard kickoff return from 7 yards deep in the end zone that helped the Vikings get past the 2-minute warning Monday and further drain the clock.
Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Jeff Okudah were “both doing well” in the concussion protocol, O'Connell said. With one fewer day to recover prior to the home opener Sunday against Atlanta, however, their status for the game is uncertain.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and safety Harrison Smith were both inactive against the Bears, not quite cleared in their respective recoveries. Darrisaw is coming back from ACL surgery he had 10 months ago and Smith has been ramping up his conditioning after a personal health matter sidelined him from practice about a month ago.
In his first interview with reporters since his absence, Smith said Wednesday he's feeling better and that his issue was physical, not mental. He declined to delve into specifics. Because he was not placed on injured reserve, which requires a player to miss a minimum of four games to free up a roster spot, the expectation from Smith and the Vikings has been that he would be back sooner than later.
“We’re kind of fluid if I’m ready to go or not. If I can help the team or not, that’s all that matters,” he said. “I think I’ll be able to bounce back pretty quick as far as building stamina. It’s a new experience, so I’m figuring it out.”
Cashman led the Vikings with 111 tackles last season, his first with his home-state team. During his three-game absence in October with a turf toe injury, the Vikings allowed two of their three highest points against totals in consecutive losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
Cashman wears the green dot on his helmet that allows for pre-snap wireless radio communication with the coaching staff, responsible for the calls in the huddle and directing traffic leading up to the play. Ninth-year veteran Eric Wilson, who rejoined the Vikings this year, took over for Cashman.
Wilson has mostly been a backup and a special teams contributor throughout his career, but in 2020 with Minnesota he started 15 games and in 2024 with Green Bay he started 12 games.
“If I’m wearing the green dot, I’m prepared for it,” Wilson said.
Atlanta (0-1) at Minnesota (1-0)
Sunday, 7:20 p.m., NBC.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Vikings by 4½.
Against the spread: Falcons 0-1, Vikings 1-0.
Series record: Vikings lead 22-12.
Last meeting: Vikings beat Falcons 42-21 on Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis.
Last week: Falcons lost to Buccaneers 23-20, Vikings beat Bears 27-24.
Falcons offense: overall (10), rush (26), pass (4), scoring (15T).
Falcons defense: overall (9), rush (16), pass (11), scoring (21).
Vikings offense: overall (26), rush (9), pass (28), scoring (6T).
Vikings defense: overall (18T), rush (21T), pass (17), scoring (22T).
Turnover differential: Falcons even, Vikings even.
Falcons player to watch
QB Michael Penix Jr. The eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft makes his fifth career start in what ought to be his toughest test to date in a prime-time game on the road against an aggressive and unpredictable defense in a sure-to-be-roaring stadium. After replacing former Vikings stalwart Kirk Cousins for the final three games of his rookie season, Penix had a decent performance in the opener against the Bucs without any help from the running game while going 27 for 42 for 298 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers.
Vikings player to watch
OLB Jonathan Greenard. Fifth in the NFL with 12 sacks last season, Greenard had a head-turning training camp and was plenty active in the opener against the Bears while being credited with seven QB pressures by Pro Football Focus. The season-ending lower leg injury for Falcons RT Kaleb McGary, the blindside protector for the left-handed Penix, has weakened their offensive line. Greenard had nine sacks and three forced fumbles in nine home games last season.
Key matchup
Falcons edge rushers vs. Vikings offensive tackles. The Falcons invested heavily in their pass rush prior to this season by adding 10-year veteran Leonard Floyd and drafting Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round. They generated QB pressure on 36% of passing plays with a four-man rush, the fifth-highest rate in the league in Week 1. Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy took three sacks in his debut, with backup LT Justin Skule struggling in place of standout Christian Darrisaw, who has not yet returned to game action after tearing his ACL in Week 8 last season.
Key injuries
Falcons: Backup WR Jamal Agnew (groin), the primary kickoff and punt returner, did not practice Wednesday. Neither did backup RT Jack Nelson (calf) nor another backup WR Casey Washington (concussion). ... WRs Drake London and Darnell Mooney were limited Wednesday with shoulder injuries but expected to play Sunday.
Vikings: LB Blake Cashman (hamstring) will miss multiple weeks along with backup RB and kickoff returner Ty Chandler (knee) with injuries suffered against the Bears. ... Darrisaw (knee) and S Harrison Smith (personal health matter) didn’t suit up for the opener, but they’re both practicing this week. ... OLB Andrew Van Ginkel and CB Jeff Okudah, who played in nickel packages, were in the concussion protocol this week.
Series notes
The Vikings have won six of the past seven matchups, including last season when Cousins was still the starter for the Falcons. Sam Darnold had a career-high five touchdown passes for the Vikings in that game, their highest points total of their first three seasons under coach Kevin O’Connell. ... This will be the first time these teams have played each other in a Sunday night game. ... The Vikings are 13-5 at home all time against the Falcons, covering four different stadiums. Their first playoff victory at the Metrodome came against the Falcons in a wild-card round game after the strike-shortened 1982 season. The Falcons beat the Vikings there in overtime of the NFC championship game following the 1998 season.
Stats and stuff
Penix and McCarthy were the starting QBs for Washington and Michigan, respectively, in the College Football Playoff championship game after the 2023 season, a 34-13 win by McCarthy and Michigan. ... Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, who had 100 receiving yards on six catches against the Bucs but just 24 rushing yards on 12 carries, has 19 career games of 100-plus scrimmage yards for the most in the league since he entered in 2023. ... Falcons LT Jake Matthews has the longest active streak of consecutive regular-season games started (179) in the NFL. ... Floyd has three sacks and seven tackles for loss in three career night games against the Vikings. ... Falcons S Xavier Watts had six tackles and two passes defensed in his NFL debut last week. ... McCarthy, who was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, had two touchdown passes and ran for a score in the fourth quarter after a rough start that included an interception returned for a touchdown by the Bears. McCarthy became the first player since Cam Newton for the Panthers in 2011 to have at least two passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown in his NFL debut. ... Vikings WR Justin Jefferson needs one reception to tie Larry Fitzgerald Jr. as the youngest players (26 years, 90 days) to reach 500 catches. ... DT Javon Hargrave had two sacks in his Vikings debut, the eighth career multi-sack game of his 10-year career. ... Will Reichard had a career-long 59-yard field goal last week, the second longest in Vikings history.
Fantasy tip
RB Jordan Mason had 13 bruising carries for 68 yards in his Vikings debut, the bellwether behind their comeback from an 11-point deficit early in the fourth quarter. Fellow RB Aaron Jones contributed a touchdown catch and 44 receiving yards, but only eight rushing attempts after logging a career-high 255 carries last season. Expect an even split in playing time between the two given their complementary skill sets, but Mason could well become more of the featured runner moving forward.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.