Analyzing final Vikings injury report vs. Falcons

The final injury report for the Minnesota Vikings matchup with the Atlanta Falcons has been released with multiple players out

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon with quarterback Jaren Hall getting his first start in the NFL.

The injury report for both teams is out and is much cleaner for the Vikings than it is their counterparts.

Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell leaves game

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell has left the game versus the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter after a big hit.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell has left the game early in the fourth quarter. Powell made a reception early in the fourth quarter as the Vikings’ offense was once again driving on the Green Bay Packers’ defense. After the catch, Powell was hit by Packers defenders Quay Walker and Keisean Nixon.

Powell stayed down on the field immediately after the hit and was seen by Vikings medical staff. He was able to get off the field under his own power, but was in visible pain and taken to the medical tent immediately.

Powell hasn’t been much of a factor in today’s game, as the reception he was injured on was his first catch of the game. However, with Powell out, the already thin Vikings receiver corps gets even thinner. We’ll have more information on the injury as it becomes available.

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Vikings PFF grades on offense through 6 games

The Vikings offense has some standouts and the Pro Football Focus grades showcase that

The Minnesota Vikings are a fascinating team.

Despite a 2-4 start, the Vikings have good underlying metrics and Pro Football Focus has the offensive line as one of the best units in the National Football League.

As we head into week seven, here are the PFF grades for each member of the Vikings offense starting units in 11 and 12 personnel.

Vikings place Jalen Nailor on injured reserve

To make room for Cam Akers, the Vikings placed the wide receiver on injured reserve

When the Minnesota Vikings traded for running back Cam Akers, they had one too many players on the roster. To make room for him on the 53-man roster, the Vikings placed wide receiver Jalen Nailor on injured reserve.

Nailor missed time during training camp with the same injury. In fact, he didn’t play in a single preseason game.

It’s been a disappointing season for Nailor who the Vikings were very high on going into the season.

What does this mean for the Vikings receiving corps and special teams? Brandon Powell will step up into the WR4 role with one of Lucky Jackson and Trishton Jackson likely to be elevated. N’Keal Harry and Thayer Thomas  are also options but not as likely.

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10 players who need a great performance vs. Seahawks

Heading into Thursday’s preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, these 10 Minnesota Vikings need a great performance.

After two weeks of Minnesota Vikings training camp, we are starting to see a divide between players at each position. Preseason games set things apart as well, as live game reps matter more than practice.

Throughout practice, there have been plenty of standouts, but the players who have been struggling are the ones that need a great performance. If you play well in a live game setting, that can change everything for your potential chances to earn a roster spot.

Here are 10 players that need to have a great game against the Seattle Seahawks to improve their chances to make the roster.

Vikings 90-man roster player profile: WR Brandon Powell

After returning a punt for a touchdown against the Vikings in 2021, Brandon Powell signed to hopefully make the 2023 roster.

Welcome to the beginning of our 2023 season preview content!

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at each player on the roster in-depth with backgrounds and how they currently project forward on the Minnesota Vikings roster.

What is the best-case scenario? What is the worst-case scenario? What should we expect from them during the preseason and beyond? We will break all of that down here.

As a staff, all of us at Vikings Wire ranked the entire 90-man roster 1-90 and will be releasing player profiles in reverse order.

Vikings state of the roster: Wide receiver

The latest in our multi-part series looking at the state of the Minnesota Vikings roster, we take a look at the wide receiver position.

The 2023 season is inching closer and closer by the day and we here at Vikings Wire are previewing the season from every angle.

We are currently writing player profiles on each Minnesota Viking on the roster with projections for what their 2023 season could look like. How things look projecting forward is where the real intrigue lies.

Leading up to training camp, we will be looking at each position from a more in-depth perspective. Today, we will be looking at the wide receiver position.

Rams free-agent WR Brandon Powell signing with Vikings

Brandon Powell is leaving the Rams, signing with the Vikings as a free agent and reuniting with Kevin O’Connell

Brandon Powell has been the Rams’ primary return specialist for the last two seasons, but they’ll need a replacement in that role. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Vikings are signing Powell to a one-year deal.

This reunites him with Kevin O’Connell, who was the Rams’ offensive coordinator before he left to become the Vikings’ head coach.

Powell returned 24 punts for 177 yards last season, as well as 30 kickoffs for 605 yards. He had one punt return for a touchdown in 2021, his first year with the Rams.

Last season, he got more opportunities on offense, catching 24 passes for 156 yards. He also rushed the ball 17 times for 80 yards, getting carries on jet sweeps and out of the backfield.

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Vikings sign WR/KR Brandon Powell to a one year deal

The Minnesota Vikings fortified their special teams unit by signing Brandon Powell to a one year deal.

The Minnesota Vikings continue to bring in talent in terms of depth. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Vikings are signing former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Powell to a one year deal.

This move is nothing more than a depth signing at the moment. The Vikings currently have Kene Nwangwu as the kick returner and Jalen Reagor as the punt returner and the real competition will be at the punt returner. Reagor struggled this past season.

As a receiver, Powell hasn’t been much more than a gadget guy. He has 47 career receptions for 354 yards and two touchdowns in his career.

Vikings fans might know him from the December 26th, 2021 game at U.S. Bank Stadium when Powell returned this punt for a touchdown.

Rams finish 29th in 2022 special teams rankings

The Rams didn’t have the best year on special teams, despite Matt Gay’s near-perfect season

The Rams had one of the best kickers in football this season, but even Matt Gay couldn’t lift the overall play of the special teams unit. It was a rough year for the Rams’ special teamers outside of Gay, and as a result, they once again ranked near the bottom of the league in that phase of the game.

As he does every year, Rick Gosselin ranked every team’s special teams unit and in 2022, the Rams came in at No. 29. These rankings are based on 22 different categories, ranging from kickoff returns to punt coverage to field goals and extra points. Field position is also factored in, and the Rams really struggled in that area.

They had the fifth-worst average starting position, while their opponents had the fourth-best in the league. The Rams didn’t have any big returns on special teams, either; Brandon Powell’s longest punt return was just 22 yards and this longest kickoff runback was 34 yards.

Riley Dixon ranked 13th among all punters with a net average of 42 yards, but he downed just 19 of his punts inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was 67 yards.

Gay was really the only consistent and reliable special teams player. He ranked fourth with a field goal conversion rate of 93.3%, going a perfect 21-for-21 inside 50 yards. He’s a pending free agent, just like Dixon and Powell, but Gay should be a high priority for the Rams.

Last year, the Rams ranked 16th in Gosselin’s poll, but in 2020, they were 30th in the NFL.

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