In Week 15, the Vikings had a legitimate shot at the postseason, but if the team wanted to get there, they would have to persevere through injuries.
That did not happen. With LB Eric Kendricks, LB Anthony Barr, DE Danielle Hunter, DB Mike Hughes and others unavailable, Minnesota was dominated on defense by both Chicago and New Orleans. Those losses eliminated the Vikings from playoff contention and moved the team to 6-9 overall.
Now, the team has a pretty meaningless game against the Lions in Week 17. The Vikings are yet again dealing with key absences from practice leading up to the matchup.
Here is the Vikings’ initial injury report for Week 17: