Inside the Vikings, Week 4: Latest on injuries, Brian Flores' dominant defense and more
MINNEAPOLIS — Another week, another chance for the Minnesota Vikings to prove they're actually, truly, indisputably "for real." And this time it's personal: The rival Green Bay Packers will host the surprisingly unbeaten Vikes on Sunday, setting the stage for Minnesota to definitively take hold of the NFC North after a red-hot start with Sam Darnold and Co.
Here's what to know, from CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin:
News bits
Darnold briefly exited Sunday's rout of the Houston Texans with what coach Kevin O'Connell later deemed a knee sprain, but he's not expected to miss any additional time after an MRI revealed no structural damage. Crisis averted, for now. O'Connell is also "optimistic" about starting wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) returning, though the former first-round pick is still likely to draw a questionable tag on the pregame injury report.
Insider buzz
Echoing CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, it's no secret behind the scenes that defensive coordinator Brian Flores is gaining steam as a future head coaching candidate. His Vikings units have gone from overachieving to flat-out suffocating in two years under O'Connell, but more importantly, he's kept his head down to earn widespread player buy-in, softening external concerns about his polarizing Miami Dolphins breakup. You won't find a veteran defender with a poor word to utter about Flores in Minnesota, and it helps that he's truly maximized his personnel on the field.
The big picture
With each passing week, it's becoming harder to downplay the Vikings as a total package. It's not just Darnold, after all, though his ascent as a confident, selectively aggressive passer is monumental. The line is good. The ground game is electric. We're probably already taking Justin Jefferson's effortless explosion for granted. And Flores' defense is a Frankenstein's monster of fast, physical, versatile hitters. There is suddenly no glaring weakness. Week 4 does not make or break a season, but going to Lambeau Field and beating the Packers would be the closest thing yet to confirmation of the Vikings' emergence as an NFC powerhouse.
Around the North
The Packers (2-1) are the most impressive non-Vikings team in the North, even while missing star quarterback Jordan Love since the final moments of Week 1. Coach Matt LaFleur is a top-five schemer, as evidenced by his seamless reconfiguring of a run-first offense for fill-in Malik Willis. Josh Jacobs adds a punishing element on the ground, and their Xavier McKinney-led secondary is attracted to the ball. If it's the mobile Willis instead of the rocket-armed Love on Sunday, however, Flores should have at least a slight upper hand, considering his success confusing opposing signal-callers. The Lions (2-1) get a Monday night matchup with the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks, whose defense has been legit. And the Bears (1-2) will host the Los Angeles Rams (1-2), who've still managed a big-play offense.
The Vikings take on the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday. Kickoff is at noon. You can watch the game on WCCO, with pregame coverage starting at 10:30 a.m.