The Minnesota Vikings want to unleash their offense when they host the Miami Dolphins in Week 4, but they have no assurances that superstar Justin Jefferson will be in the lineup. The Vikings’ best player did not practice Thursday, and that marked the second consecutive session that he did not participate.
Jefferson suffered an ankle sprain in Minnesota’s Week 3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter. He caught two passes in the game for 32 yards, but he did not play after the opening 15 minutes.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is hopeful that Jefferson will be able to practice Friday, but he offered no guarantees that he would be participating with his teammates. O’Connell also pointed out that Jefferson’s knowledge of the playbook and his understanding of the way the team wants to attack could mean that he will play against the Dolphins even if he misses another practice session.
In addition to Jefferson, running back Aaron Jones missed practice for a second straight day as he was given a rest day, while LB Blake Cashman was limited with an elbow injury. Cashman leads the team with 25 tackles and he also has 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and a pass defensed.
Rookie punter Brett Thorson has missed back-to-back practices and the Vikings could bring back Johnny Hekker to handle punting chores if the rookie’s hamstring issues prevent him from playing.
The Vikings go into the game with a 3-0 record, but they have not been able to unleash a consistent offensive game to this point in the season. They have been the beneficiary of outstanding defensive play from defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ unit and special teams have also given them an edge.
The Vikings rank at the bottom of the league in offensive productivity, averaging 238.3 yards per game. That’s 11.0 yards per game fewer than the 31st-ranked Tennessee Titans.
