Vikings Injury Updates: Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Patrick Peterson, K.J. Osborn
The Vikings had several players get shaken up during Saturday's 39-36 win over the Colts, the biggest comeback in NFL history. That tends to happen in a four-hour game featuring 165 combined plays from scrimmage.
Luckily, all four injured players avoided anything serious. Justin Jefferson toughed it out after taking a couple big hits in the win, while three others — Christian Darrisaw, Patrick Peterson, and K.J. Osborn — were just dealing with cramps.
Jefferson, who seems to take at least a big hit or two every week, got banged up a couple times in this game. He stayed down for around 40 seconds after being taken to the ground hard in the second quarter, but was able to return to the game.
Then, in the fourth quarter, Jefferson got popped up high by Stephon Gilmore and landed awkwardly with his helmet halfway off his head. The play resulted in a 15-yard penalty on Gilmore. Jefferson seemed ready to continue, but was told by officials he needed to leave the game, presumably to check for any signs of a concussion. Frustrated, Jefferson spiked his helmet to the ground with both hands.
Shortly after, he was cleared by the Vikings' medical staff and returned to the game. He had three more catches after that point, including the reception that set up Greg Joseph's game-winning field goal in the final second of overtime. Jefferson finished with 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets, his ninth 100-yard outing in 14 games this season.
Afterwards, head coach Kevin O'Connell described Jefferson's injury as a "rib/chest contusion."
"He's feeling pretty good right now," O'Connell said. "He was able to obviously come back in the game and help contribute in a huge way to winning that football game. I'm sure he'll be sore, but we'll keep you guys posted how he does."
O'Connell said they need to protect Jefferson more, going forward, so he's not dealing with this much violent contact over the middle of the field.
"Justin continuously going over the middle, making critical catches, willing to go attack the football," he said. "I think we've got to protect him a little bit better. It's great to get the flags, but just moving forward — us as coaches, as well, it's not just anybody else out there — but he's too important to our league. It seems like a weekly occurrence at this point."
Jefferson, who is at a career-best 1,623 receiving yards through 14 games, is ten yards away from breaking Randy Moss's single season franchise record. If he's good to go next Saturday against the Giants, that should happen pretty early in that game.
Darrisaw, Peterson, and Osborn will all be OK after dealing with cramps during a long, intense game.
"There was a lot of cramping out there," Peterson said. "I don't know what it was, honestly. I thought I was hydrated all this week, but muscles wasn't hydrated enough, I guess."
Darrisaw made his return from missing the last three games — and parts of the last five — with two concussions. He had to leave the game due to cramps a couple times, but he says he's fine.
Osborn also briefly cramped up, but was able to return. He had two catches in overtime, finishing with the biggest game of his three-year career: 10 catches, 157 yards, and a touchdown.
The Vikings will be back at practice on Tuesday as they prepare to take on the Giants on Saturday the 24th in Minneapolis.
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