Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (back) will miss a fourth straight game because of a back injury and backup defensive lineman James Lynch (shoulder) will also miss Sunday’s border battle against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
The good news is that left guard Ezra Cleveland (shoulder) will start and cornerback Cam Dantzler (ankle) will be good to go for the game. There are no other players on the Vikings’ injury report.
It won’t be surprising if Duke Shelley is taking reps at cornerback ahead of Dantzler, considering Shelley has shined since stepping in six weeks ago when Dantzler and Akayleb Evans went down with injuries.
The Packers are in a less fruitful situation with injuries. Star rookie wide receiver Christian Watson is questionable with a hip injury. Explosive kick return Keisean Nixon (ankle) is also questionable.
“We’re just going to kind of feel it out and if he feels like he can go at game time and the trainers clear him, then we’ll let him go,” head coach Matt LaFleur said of Watson on Friday. “If not, then other guys are going to have to pick up the pieces.”
The Packers will get a boost on the offensive line with the return of left tackle David Bakhtiari, who hasn’t played in a month after undergoing an appendectomy. LaFleur said he fully expects Bakhtiari to start Sunday.
If the Lions beat the Bears at noon Sunday, a Minnesota win would eliminate the Packers from postseason contention. Green Bay still make the playoffs by winning out and getting some help from the Commanders and/or Giants.
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