If the Minnesota Vikings are going to advance in the playoffs, they are going to have to do it without a player on defense.
The Vikings won’t have cornerback Cameron Dantzler for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game. He is inactive. He has missed practice all week because of a personal matter. Per Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, head coach Kevin O’Connell said Dantzler is “going through something pretty serious.”
While starting in nine of 10 games in 2022, Dantzler recorded 50 tackles and a fumble recovery. He allowed 41 completion on 53 targets in coverage for 407 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vikings’ other inactives are defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo, running back Ty Chandler, defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and outside linebacker Luiji Vilain.
The Vikings may have won 13 games, but the team finished the regular season 31st in total and passing defense. Daniel Jones tallied 334 passing yards in Minnesota’s 27-24 victory over the New York Giants on Christmas Eve.
This game can truly go either way.
