Getting drowned out in the Vikings quarterback kerfuffle this morning is a bit of news that may be a bigger issue for The Purple come Sunday.
Along with Christian Ponder missing the contest, starting defensive backs Jamarca Sanford and Chris Cook will also be absent from the Wembley Stadium field when Minnesota takes on Pittsburgh.
Leslie Frazier confirmed those absences in his early morning news conference, as well as Rhett Ellison missing his second straight game with a knee injury.
Cook left the first quarter of the Vikings game against Cleveland last week, a day the secondary took a thrashing form third-string QB Brian Hoyer. Cook did not return, suffering from a groin injury.
Sanford lasted slightly longer, but also had to leave the Browns contest with a hamstring ailment.
Not mentioned on the list of those that would miss Sunday’s must-win is cornerback AJ Jefferson, who was the other member of the Vikings secondary who was injured five days ago. After being torched on a Browns touchdown drive by Josh Morgan, he left the game with an ankle injury.
No one can argue that the quarterback of a football team is the most important player on the field, if not in all of sports, but with these mounting secondary concerns, it may be stopping Ben Roethlisberger that proves to be the larger issue for Minnesota.
Pittsburgh is 10th in the league in passing, while the Vikings, injuries or not, rank 27th in the league in stopping it, and have given up a league-worst nine passing touchdowns.
Seeing what Brian Hoyer did to the Vikings last week, and adding that memory to the growing list of injury concerns for Minnesota, it’s borderline scary to think what a two-time Super Bowl winning QB could do to The Purple two days from now.
By the way, you Antoine Winfield fans, it doesn’t look like he’s walking through that door. At least, not yet.
