Name: Vikings will face Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams depleted at cornerback
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Vikings will face Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams depleted at cornerback

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By | | Pioneer PressIt was fitting that a song played while the Vikings were stretching before Thursday’s practice was “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins.The Vikings (1-5) are heading to Green Bay (5-1) on Sunday to go against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams. And they’ll likely be facing those stars without three of their top four cornerbacks.Danger indeed.For the second straight day this week, the Vikings were without cornerbacks Cameron Dantzler, Holton Hill, Mike Hughes and Chris Jones at practice. And Kris Boyd, who has missed the past two games, was limited in practice for the second straight day with a hamstring injury.Dantzler was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list Wednesday. Hill has missed the past two games with a foot injury. Hughes suffered a neck injury in the first half of Minnesota’s last game, a 40-23 loss to Atlanta on Oct. 18. And Jones still was going through the coronavirus protocol after being picked up on waivers Monday from Detroit.The Vikings’ only fully healthy cornerbacks available could be rookies Jeff Gladney and Harrison Hand, and second-year player Mark Fields II. Gladney is the only one who has played regularly this season.Dantzler, Hill and Hughes are the other cornerbacks who have played regularly this season for the Vikings.“That’s just the nature of the NFL, especially in a year like this,” co-defensive coordinator Adam Zimmer said of the injuries at cornerback. “We have to prepare everybody to play, because you never know what’s going to happen. The young guys are doing a good job of learning, and (defensive backs coach) Daronte (Jones) is doing the best job he can of teaching them the system and getting them in the right technique and fundamentals.”Gladney will start his sixth straight game Sunday. And Fields could get his first career start in what will be just his third NFL game.Fields has been working with the first team in practice after being signed last Monday off the practice squad. He got into one game last season, playing six defensive snaps in the opener against Atlanta. His only action this season was two snaps on special teams in Week 3 against Tennessee.“He called me, and he was so excited,” said Fields father, Mark Fields, a former NFL two-time Pro Bowl linebacker. “He was like, ‘Dad, I’m ready to go play.’ … He was saying, ‘There’s a good possibility of me out there starting.’ ”Fields’ dad said he has been playing both outside cornerback and in the slot in practices.“He’s done good so far this week,” co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson said. “We have a couple more days of practice, so hopefully he continues to improve and get better.”The Vikings have moved Gladney to the slot when they go to a nickel defense. If that continues, it remains to be seen who might be in the game then as an outside cornerback. Boyd could be a candidate, if he’s healthy enough, and Hand also could be looked at. Hand saw his first NFL action on defense against the Falcons, playing 37 snaps.The Vikings had Danzler for the entire game against Atlanta and Hughes for nearly half of it, but still were picked apart by Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who completed 30 of 40 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns.Now, they run into Rodgers and Adams for the second time this season. In the Sept. 13 opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, when all of Minnesota’s cornerbacks were healthy, Green Bay won 42-33 with Rodgers completing 32 of 44 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns and Adams catching 14 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns.“You always have a challenge when you’re playing against Aaron Rodgers and one of the top receivers in the league,” Patterson said. “It’s a team effort, and the rest of the guys on the defense have to step up to do a great job. … We’ll all have to play good together to give us a chance to win the game.”It won’t be easy in the danger zone at Lambeau Field. The Packers are 6 1/2-point favorites, their largest margin over the Vikings since the line was 7 1/2 points in both 2014 games.We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.Sign up for Newsletters and AlertsFollow UsMost PopularClose

By | | Pioneer PressIt was fitting that a song played while the Vikings were stretching before Thursday’s practice was “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins.The Vikings (1-5) are heading to Green Bay (5-1) on Sunday to go against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams. And they’ll likely be facing those stars without three of their top four cornerbacks.Danger indeed.For the second straight day this week, the Vikings were without cornerbacks Cameron Dantzler, Holton Hill, Mike Hughes and Chris Jones at practice. And Kris Boyd, who has missed the past two games, was limited in...

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Chris Tomasson

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Vikings will face Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams depleted at cornerback

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