The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions face off for the first time on Sunday, with the top of the division at stake. Unfortunately for the Lions, they will have to compete without their top defensive star.
On Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, Aidan Hutchinson suffered a gruesome leg injury that resulted in emergency surgery. The surgery was to repair a broken tibia and he will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
That means the Lions’ top pass rusher will be gone for the season, which is currently 4-1. The Minnesota Vikings and the NFL never want to see a player get seriously hurt the way Hutchinson did. The league never stops moving, so the game this weekend will, of course, go ahead, but it also means the jobs for Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill will be adjusted.
They will have to gameplan much less for James Houston or Alim McNeil than for Hutchinson. This means that Wes Phillips and Kevin O’Connell can gameplan without worrying about the former Rookie of the Year.
The ripple effect will be felt throughout the season, but it starts this Sunday against the Vikings.