The Minnesota Vikings will not be at full strength in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season as a promising young cornerback has been ruled out against Atlanta.
With the high-powered offense of the Atlanta Falcons coming to town, Week 1 of the 2019 season will be a good first challenge for the Minnesota Vikings as they hope to rebound from a disappointing 8-7-1 record last season.
Sadly, the first injury report has been released for the teams heading into the game and it appears as though Minnesota will not be at full strength. However, neither will Atlanta…but the game must go on.
Let’s take a look at who is in and who is out during the Week 1 game between the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons on the injury report.
Minnesota Vikings
RULED OUT
- Mike Hughes, CB – knee
DOUBTFUL
- – none –
QUESTIONABLE
- Tyler Conklin, TE – ribs
- Stefon Diggs, WR – hamstring
The best news from this injury report is that Brian O’Neill isn’t listed. An elbow injury kept the right tackle out of the preseason but his presence should boost the proficiency of the offensive line. Meanwhile, Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, and Mackensie Alexander are all cleared for action.
Hughes being unable to go is a little concerning, His injury last year left him a lot of time to heal and rehab, but not having him available paired with the suspension to Holton Hill is a bit of a hit to the team’s cornerback depth.
Atlanta Falcons
RULED OUT
- Matt Gono, T – back
DOUBTFUL
- – none –
QUESTIONABLE
- – none –
With a new contract in place after a preseason holdout, Julio Jones will be suiting up for Week 1. He can be a dominating wide receiver who can change any game at a moment’s notice and his availability is potential game-changer for this contest.
Gono likely wouldn’t have seen action in this game even if he was healthy. Jake Matthews is the starter at left tackle and will likely see all snaps. However, him being out does mean that if something happens to Matthews, then Everson Griffen should be licking his chops.
Since it’s early in the season, injuries haven’t really piled up yet. And thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings are relatively ready for action. Of course, they’ll need all hands on deck to take on the challenge the Atlanta Falcons pose.