Vikings receiver Jordan Addison nursing another ankle injury after exiting victory over Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Vikings receiver Jordan Addison did not need a walking boot or crutches to exit the visiting locker room at MetLife Stadium after Sunday’s 28-6 victory over the Giants.

But he wasn’t interested in talking about the ankle injury that forced him to leave the game in the third quarter. Addison did not answer questions about how he was feeling while walking out of the locker room. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Addison injured his other ankle — but not the one in which he suffered a high ankle sprain on Aug. 14 and missed a few weeks of practice.

Meaning Addison, who had three catches for 35 yards, has suffered two ankle injuries in the past month.

“We’re going to have him fully evaluated,” O’Connell said. “Don’t know the severity of it yet, but Jordan made some big plays for us early on there, and to lose him kind of affected a little bit of the flow there in the second half. But hopefully, it will be a shorter-term thing.”

Center Garrett Bradbury also played through a knee injury, O’Connell added.

Addison appeared to get injured in the third quarter when he was tackled low by Giants linebacker Darius Muasau. The catch was negated because of a holding call on left tackle Christian Darrisaw.

Addison exited the game immediately. Five plays later, quarterback Sam Darnold found receiver Jalen Nailor for a 21-yard touchdown. Receiver Justin Jefferson liked what he saw from his fellow receivers.

“We got some guys,” Jefferson said. “We’ve been saying that we have the talent in this [receiver] room to compete with anybody in this league. [Nailor] doesn’t get a lot of time on the field, so when those opportunities come, making the most of them.”

The Vikings defense harassed Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to the tune of 12 hits, including five sacks, in a game where New York consistently trailed and attempted 42 passes. Nine Vikings defenders tagged off on Jones, who saw a flurry of real blitzes and fake pressures designed to scheme up one-on-one pass rushing opportunities for others.

Four defensive linemen — Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Harrison Phillips and Patrick Jones II — combined for five sacks.

“Our room is crazy,” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “Pick your poison when it comes to our room. Nobody’s trying to do too much, nobody is thinking they’re better than anybody else. If you have an opportunity, go make it.”

Greenard, the Vikings’ top free agent signing in March, didn’t land a sack. But he drilled Jones on a third down in the second quarter. He said he’s focused on a different stat after failing to win the previous two Week 1 games for the Houston Texans. Greenard was inactive for season openers in 2020 and 2021.

“First time starting 1-0,” Greenard said, “so I’m good.”

Fullback C.J. Ham, a two-time Pro Bowler, has touched the ball 114 times in his nine-year NFL career. But for just the second time on Sunday, he put the ball on the ground. Ham coughed up a fumble on the Vikings’ opening possession during an 8-yard catch. The turnover set up the Giants offense deep in Vikings territory and led a 23-yard field goal.

“The team played great,” Ham said. “Obviously made a mistake, fumbled the ball. That’s something that was hard for me, but our team was resilient. They picked me back up.”

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