The Vikings didn’t have safety Harrison Smith for Sunday’s win over the Seahawks, as Smith was inactive with a foot injury.
But head coach Kevin O’Connell said Smith should be back for the Week 17 matchup with Green Bay.
“It was truly a gameday kind of decision with him,” O’Connell said, via Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Harrison is a guy that, sometimes you’ve got to make the decision to sit him down, otherwise he’s going to be out there. And we knew he was dealing with some significant soreness that just kind of never turned over.
“But we’re expecting him to be fine and be ready to roll this week.”
Smith, 35, has recorded 79 total tackles with nine passes defensed and two interceptions this season.
The Saints are playing at Lambeau Field on Monday night. The temperatures won’t be brutal, but it’ll still be technically freezing.
The Saints have prepared for the experience by freezing themselves.
Quarterback Spencer Rattler, who’ll start the game, told reporters that the quarterbacks went to the team’s walk-in freezer on Sunday to run through plays
“This morning, [quarterbacks coach Andrew] Janocko took us in the cafeteria freezer, where it was like 10 degrees, and we’re just going through the whole script in there, and so just doing that, that helped a lot,” Rattler said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. “So hopefully it’s not 10 degrees, but we’ll be ready.”
It’s supposed to be closer to 32 than 10. But, still, it will be cold.
Terrell explains that Janocko got the idea from the movie Cool Runnings, in which a member of the Jamaican bobsled team sits in an ice cream truck to prepare for the cold.
“I think there’s something we said about just preparing for [the cold], so you’re not shocked and it’s not something surprising,” Janocko said. “It’s something that you deal with as far as you prepare for the opponent and prepare for the venue. So I just thought it was good to do something a little different. At this time of the year, it’s fun to do different stuff. It’s a long season and sometimes other than just sitting in a meeting day after day after day, just doing something different, changing up the scene. Guys thought it was hilarious. The cafeteria workers think I’m out of my mind.”
There’s a fine line between brilliance and insanity. If Rattler is even slightly more ready to roll than he would have been, it’s worth it.
The Saints have ruled out quarterback Derek Carr (left hand) and running back Alvin Kamara (groin) for Monday Night Football.
Interim coach Darren Rizzi said earlier this week that Kamara’s injury might end the running back’s season, but the team held out at least slim hope that Carr could return to action this week. Neither player practiced all week.
Carr injured his hand in the Week 14 win over the Giants, and Kamara was hurt after 25 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders.
Rookie Spencer Rattler will make his fourth start of the season in place of Carr, and Kendre Miller is in line for more work at running back.
The Saints also ruled out wide receivers Chris Olave (head) and Bub Means (ankle).
Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest/illness) is questionable. He has the flu.
Tight end Juwan Johnson (foot) and edge rusher Chase Young (illness) do not have injury designations after being full participants in Saturday’s practice.
The Saints haven’t officially ruled quarterback Derek Carr or running back Alvin Kamara out for Monday night’s game yet, but it looks like things are moving in that direction.
Carr and Kamara missed practice for the second straight day. Carr remains sidelined by the left hand injury he suffered in the team’s Week 14 win over the Giants and Kamara has a groin injury that interim head coach Darren Rizzi said may bring an end to his season.
Rookie Spencer Rattler will start if Carr can’t go and Kendre Miller would be in line for more work at running back.
Wide receivers Bub Means (ankle) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest, illness) made it four offensive players out of practice. Defensive end Chase Young (illness) has also been out both days this week.
Tight end Juwan Johnson (foot) and wide receiver Chris Olave (head) were limited participants. Olave returned to practice this week and would need to be activated from injured reserve in order to play on Monday.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday that the team will give linebacker Quay Walker the entire week to see if he can play through an ankle injury, but things aren’t moving in the right direction for Green Bay.
Walker missed practice for the second straight day on Friday. The Packers will practice again on Saturday and issue injury designations for Monday night’s game against the Saints.
Safety Javon Bullard is also dealing with an ankle injury and he’s the only other member of the team to miss both days of practice.
Cornerback Corey Ballentine (knee) and tight end Luke Musgrave (ankle) were limited participants for the Packers. Musgrave will need to be activated from injured reserve in order to play.
