The Minnesota Vikings have had plenty of injuries this season.
They’ve lost their No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 running back for the season and on Sunday they were without starting right tackle Mike Remmers and starting safety Andrew Sendejo’s place. At every turn – whether it’s quarterback Case Keenum or running backs Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon – the Vikings’ second string has come through.
On Sunday, it was safety Anthony Harris’s turn to play next man up.
With 4:11 remaining in the half, Harris punched the ball free from wide receiver Cooper Kupp at the goal line. The Vikings recovered, keeping the score at 7-7 heading into halftime.
“I was playing the coverage, tried to disguise a little bit then I got into position to make a play,” Harris said.
Last season the Vikings struggled when either Harrison Smith or Sendejo were not in the lineup, but thus far Harris has performed well in three starts.
“I’m just trying to be prepared,” Harris said. “I think I can be a big contributor in this league and for this team. Sometimes it’s on special teams, today it was on defense.”
Backup right tackle Rashod Hill started for the second straight week filling in for Remmers, then Jeremiah Sirles came in when Hill went down. The Vikings kept rolling against an excellent Rams defense. Keenum was not sacked and the Vikings averaged 4.9 yards per rush.
“These guys work their rear ends off all week, all year long and get a chance to go in there and prove what they can do,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “We’re going to need them down the stretch. That’s just how the game works. Have to have a lot of depth.”
The post Anthony Harris adds his name to ‘next man up’ players to make an impact appeared first on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Source:: 1500 ESPN Sportswire
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