4 takeaways from the Vikings loss to the Packers in Week 16

Kendricks’ injury is worrisome

For the majority of the 2019 season, the Vikings haven’t really had to deal with too many significant injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Guys like Linval Joseph and Anthony Harris missed a little time earlier in the year, but their absences were nothing Minnesota’s defense was unable to overcome.

Eric Kendricks has arguably been the Vikings’ best defensive player this season and they were without his services for most of Monday’s loss to the Packers thanks to him sustaining a quad injury in the second quarter.

How severe the linebacker’s injury actually is will be something a lot of people will be paying attention to during the next couple of weeks. If Minnesota has to open up the playoffs without Kendricks in the middle of their defense, their shot at making any sort of run doesn’t seem very likely.

The Vikings have kept players out for precautionary reasons in past games this season, so this may be the case for their veteran linebacker. For Minnesota’s sake, hopefully Kendricks’ injury isn’t severe enough to keep him off the field for the team’s opening-round playoff matchup in two weeks.