With both Mike Hughes and Mackensie Alexander out, Vikings defensive back Jayron Kearse will get an opportunity on Sunday against the Saints.
The Minnesota Vikings official injury report was released for the Wild Card matchup against the New Orleans Saints Friday afternoon. While there was some good news that involved All-Pro Linebacker Eric Kendricks being listed as a full participant, the Vikings secondary didn’t receive any positive news.
Starting nickelback Mackensie Alexander was ruled out and his backup Mike Hughes was placed on injured reserve. Former Viking Marcus Sherels was added to the roster, and he is expected to take Hughes’ spot as the punt returner.
The Vikings’ secondary has been a problem throughout the season, and the matchup between Drew Brees and Michael Thomas doesn’t make things any easier. Thomas, the 6’3 wide receiver, broke the single season catch record and had over 1,700 receiving yards.
Not only is Thomas 6’3, but he also gets utilized by the Saints frequently out of the slot. The two Nickels that are out for the Vikings are listed at 5’10 and 5’11. Even if either Alexander or Hughes were having a great season, this would still be a huge mismatch for a Vikings secondary that has already struggled in coverage this season.
That is where the former seventh round pick out of Clemson Jayron Kearse comes in. Kearse stands at 6’4 and brings a much more physical playing style to the table when he is on the field. His bigger build, matched with his physicality, are both examples as to why he should have been in this position even before the injury report was released.
Saints tight end Jared Cook has also been heating up as of late for the Saints. The versatility of Kearse should be used as a trick up Mike Zimmer’s sleeve on Sunday afternoon.
Throughout the season, Kearse has had his ups and downs. There was the incident that involved drinking and driving with a handgun in the car. He apologized the following Monday, and stated that wasn’t a reflection of who he is.
In the first few weeks of the season, neither Hughes or Alexander were healthy enough to start, and Kearse stepped in at nickelback. He has also stepped in and played some safety, the position that he is listed as on the Vikings depth chart.
Kearse has also made two plays that can be looked at as reasons to why the Vikings are even in the playoffs. At the end of the Dallas game, Kearse was the one to find his hands on the ball on a last second hail mary attempt. The following week, he ended the game with the pass breakup that negated the Broncos’ last second comeback attempt.
After these two games, Zimmer was quoted saying that Kearse should probably get some more playing time, and he wasn’t wrong.
Anthony Harris has had a breakout season, and leads the NFL with six total interceptions. However, PFF has Kearse edging out Harris with a lower QB rating when getting targeted. These stats should be taken with a grain of salt, because Harris has played a lot more snaps than Kearse.
Going on the road in the playoffs is never an easy task, especially when that involves playing a future first ballot Hall of Famer in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. The Vikings secondary will have their hands full for sure, but Kearse is more than likely going to get his chance to prove that he is ready for the moment.
