No NFL team needed a Week 6 bye like the Minnesota Vikings this year.
The Vikings just played their first game of October without quarterback J.J. McCarthy, right tackle Brian O’Neill, linebacker Blake Cashman, edge Andrew Van Ginkel, left guard Donovan Jackson, center Ryan Kelly, and running back Aaron Jones; that’s 32 percent of the team’s starting lineup from the season-opener at Chicago.
At this point, for Kevin O’Connell and crew, it’s a lot more about the Jimmys and Joes than the Xs and Os. The Vikings have been so banged up to start the season, it’s hard to evaluate where they stand through five games.