Vikings tight end Josh Oliver set to return; cornerback Stephon Gilmore uncertain for Sunday vs. Falcons

Tight end Josh Oliver is set to return for the Vikings offense in Sunday’s game against the Falcons, following a two-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.

Kicker Will Reichard and long snapper Andrew DePaola are also returning to practice this week with the possibility they can also play against Atlanta. Their three-week practice windows will be opened, but both would have to be activated from injured reserve in order to play.

But O’Connell isn’t sure if cornerback Stephon Gilmore can bounce back quickly. He suffered a “low-grade” hamstring strain in Sunday’s 23-22 victory over the Cardinals that shouldn’t require IR, O’Connell said. But the 34-year-old might need a week away, if not longer. He was replaced by 30-year-old cornerback Fabian Moreau, who had played only one defensive snap for the Vikings before Sunday.

“Not quite ready to rule him out for this week,” O’Connell said Monday. “Want to see how he feels as we work through it, but I do think Fabian played really well. Calm, veteran presence that came into the game, played solid.”

Moreau was frequently targeted by Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, drawing two pass interference penalties on third downs. He was also on the wrong end of Arizona’s only touchdown, to receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

O’Connell was asked whether the Vikings needed to add more help at cornerback, where the team recently lost cornerback Akayleb Evans on waivers to Carolina while trying to get him onto the practice squad. Along with Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin, the Vikings currently have Moreau, Dwight McGlothern and Nahshon Wright, who was elevated from the practice squad vs. Arizona.

“We’ll kind of cross that bridge as we go,” O’Connell said. “Clearly we have a lot of confidence, not only in the present, but we think [McGlothern] is going to be a heck of a player moving into the future. We’ll see if it’s him, or see if it’s a name or player out there.”

O’Connell awarded a game ball to second-year undrafted defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, who made the most of his opportunities with four tackles, including two for losses, in just 15 defensive snaps Sunday. The Vikings coach said he erred in also not handing one to edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who had the defense’s only sack while chasing around Murray. Greenard will get a game ball soon.

“We’re probably not going to video it and put it out for everybody to see, but he’s going to get one [Tuesday],” O’Connell said. “I probably should’ve given him one [Sunday] just because of his game-changing effort and the way he left it all out there.”

Quarterback Sam Darnold took a season-high five sacks against the Cardinals, including three that ended drives on third downs during a lackluster first half. Coaching played a pivotal role. Darnold was sacked four times when facing blitzes, which were often disguised before the snap and delayed. They led to late reactions by left guard Blake Brandel, running back Cam Akers and Darnold, who needed to throw quicker against an overload blitz before halftime.

Right tackle Brian O’Neill tipped a cap to two former Vikings assistant coaches: Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. Arizona averaged 2.4 sacks over 10 games before a Week 11 bye, and have now had back-to-back games with five sacks against Seattle and the Vikings.

“Didn’t necessarily feel like guys were getting beat,” O’Neill said. “They have good coaches, too. I got a lot of respect for their head coach and their defensive coordinator as well. We were able to make some adjustments at halftime, and I think we saw improvement throughout the game.”

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