The Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals are set to face off against each other in a big Week 3 matchup. Both teams will be playing without their starting quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy, the starter for the Vikings, is dealing with a high ankle sprain. He will miss at least this week and could miss Week 4 as well. As for Joe Burrow, he’s set to miss a long time due to a toe injury that he suffered.
With that being said, both teams need a win.
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Minnesota is looking to improve to 2-1 on the young season. The Bengals, on the other hand, are looking to move to 3-0.
Ahead of this week’s game, the Vikings received some huge news. They’re going to get a major reinforcement on the defensive side of the football.
According to a report from NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Minnesota will have star veteran safety Harrison Smith on the field for the first time this season. He has been out for the first two games due to a personal health issue.
Smith has been one of the main leaders for the Vikings’ defense for years. Simply having him back on the field will help the unit play at a much higher level.
Last season in Minnesota, Smith played in 16 games. He recorded 87 total tackles to go along with a sack, a fumble recovery, three interceptions, and 10 defended passes. Smith has played in 193 career games, totaling 1,127 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, 37 interceptions, four defensive touchdowns, and 97 defended passes.
At 36 years old, Smith is playing in the final stage of his NFL career. There is a legitimate chance that this could be the final year of his career.
It will be interesting to see what kind of impact the veteran safety can make for the Vikings in his return. Hopefully, he’ll be able to come back strong for Minnesota this week against Cincinnati.
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Outside of Smith and McCarthy, the Vikings are dealing with other concerning injuries. Aaron Jones will miss at least the next four games due to a hamstring issue, while center Ryan Kelly will also miss this week’s game due to a concussion.
Minnesota and the Bengals are set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.