Vikings don’t expect Brian O’Neill to miss Seattle game; Stephon Gilmore ‘potentially’ available

Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill is not expected to miss additional time from a right knee injury suffered during Monday night’s victory over the Bears, coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday.

“He’s sore,” O’Connell said, “but should be able to work through the week.”

O’Neill exited in the first quarter when 302-pound Bears defensive tackle Chris Williams whipped himself into the back of O’Neill’s legs while tackling running back Aaron Jones. O’Neill quickly returned after being evaluated by Vikings trainers on the sideline, but he was hit again from behind by another Bears defender just before halftime. He got taped up, returned and played 63 of 77 snaps.

“I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for how phenomenal he’s played this year,” O’Connell said. “How many times I’ve turned to him in moments to communicate and really get the pulse of the team from him.”

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore will continue to practice this week and “potentially be available” on Sunday against the Seahawks, O’Connell said. Gilmore, who strained his left hamstring in the Dec. 1 victory over the Cardinals, has missed the last two games. He has practiced once since the injury. Cornerback Fabian Moreau reported a hip injury on Tuesday and could miss time.

Defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, who started and played 27 snaps, was pulled from the end of the game by an independent spotter and placed into the concussion protocol.

“[Redmond] did come in feeling really good,” O’Connell said. “Hoping to have him available, but that’ll be strictly medical.”

Punter Ryan Wright said postgame that he too was pulled and cleared a concussion evaluation after getting rocked by Bears defensive end Dominique Robinson during a blocked punt.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard said there have been no hard feelings facing the Bears, the team that drafted him in 2016’s third round and cut him after his fourth camp in 2019. Why would Bullard harbor any ill will when it’s going so well in Minnesota, where he’s had 35 of his 50 career starts over the past three seasons?

Bullard, 31, continues to be a steady run defender through 14 starts this season.

“It’s kind of weird, right?” Bullard said. “I’m getting older, but I’m playing better. I think that just comes with understanding the game, coaches giving you more freedom, and just a lot of hard work and having coaches and teammates that believe in me to do certain things. I’ve found what I’m really good at.”

The 290-pound Bullard is good at anchoring in running situations like fourth downs, where the Vikings twice corralled Bears running back D’Andre Swift to force a turnover on downs.

“It’s a place where you can take your shot,” Bullard said. “It’s a little less technique and more being aggressive. It’s just a want to at that point.”

The Vikings defense held hypermobile Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to a season-low three rushing yards on four carries, well below his season average of nearly 30 rushing yards per game. Williams did not play as well as he did in the Nov. 24 meeting, when he threw for 340 yards and erased an 11-point lead in the final minute to force overtime, but the Vikings also contained him better this time around.

Chicago even attempted a designed run for Williams, who was taken down by safety Harrison Smith for a 1-yard gain in the first quarter.

“Really just correcting our mistakes,” safety Camryn Bynum said. “We watched the film of last time, and he’s out there looking like a magician. So today it’s like, ‘Let’s not let him look like that.’ ... Stayed tight to the receivers, make him hold the ball, and in the front, we keep him in the pocket as much as possible.”

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