Vikings lose T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, D.J. Wonnum to injuries vs. Lions

The injury-riddled Vikings lost three more starters during Sunday's 30-24 loss to the Lions.

Receiver Jordan Addison (ankle), tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) and edge rusher D.J. Wonnum (quad) will require further examination on Monday, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell, after early exits in the loss.

The Vikings fear a significant quadriceps injury to Wonnum, O'Connell said.

"That is what makes losses like these hurt," O'Connell said. "And when a couple of their brothers go down — three, four guys go down with what may be significant injuries — it takes a lot to continue to persevere and push through."

Wonnum, who has eight sacks in 13 starts this season, went down in the fourth quarter. He buckled to the turf while rushing Lions quarterback Jared Goff, clutching his left leg. He was quickly carted off the field.

Receiver K.J. Osborn stepped into a larger role when Addison limped off the field in the second quarter. Osborn finished with five catches for 95 yards and his first touchdown since the Sept. 24 loss to the Chargers. The injuries keep role players like Osborn flexible.

"I got to move positions," Osborn said. "Earlier in the season, I was at [flanker]. Then Justin went down, I was at [split end]. ... Then Jordan goes down, so I'm back to [flanker]. I try to pride myself on knowing all the positions."

Hockenson took a helmet to the knee from Lions safety Kerby Joseph during a low tackle amid a 24-yard catch and run. Hockenson, who played through two injured ribs earlier this season, was quickly ruled out.

Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon made an early exit because of a left shoulder injury. Blackmon, the third-round rookie, was replacing the injured Byron Murphy Jr., who missed his first game of the season because of a knee injury suffered Dec. 16 in Cincinnati.

By the end, the Vikings' other starting cornerback — Akayleb Evans — was pulled from the game and replaced by undrafted rookie Jaylin Williams, who made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter and drew a controversial flag for pass interference.

"A phantom P.I.," safety Camryn Bynum said. "Obviously, we can't play victim, but it happened to a young guy, and we just had to let him know, like, 'You're fine. Don't even worry about that. It's out of your control.' "

Right tackle Brian O'Neill (ankle) was ruled out before kickoff because of his Dec. 10 injury. Tackle David Quessenberry, the 33-year-old journeyman who joined the team in August, made his third start for the Vikings.

Bynum also had an issue with his overturned 82-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second quarter.

O'Connell agreed. The coach wanted to challenge, but NFL rules don't allow a coach's challenge when a play is upheld by replay assist. O'Connell thought linebacker Jordan Hicks caused a fumble when hitting Goff, but the play was ruled an incompletion. The Lions kicked a field goal on the next play to take a 10-7 lead.

"I would've loved to have heard it was an official's ruling, so I maybe could've thrown the flag," O'Connell said. "The views I had, I did not necessarily see it the same way. But that's why I'm on our sideline and not in the field officiating the game. Maybe there were some views I did not see."

"That's momentum in its clearest form," he added, "when your defense can force a turnover and get seven points out of it. Huge momentum plays."

Hicks, the 31-year-old team captain, resumed his starting role in the middle of the defensive huddle. Hicks finished with nine tackles (six solo) in his first game since undergoing emergency leg surgery Nov. 12 to relieve dangerous swelling from compartment syndrome. Hicks exuded gratitude during and after the game.

"I was just reminding myself that I was on the couch a week ago," Hicks said. "I'm saying it out loud, I'm telling guys, 'We're lucky to be doing this. We're lucky to be in this opportunity right now.' "

• Running back Alexander Mattison returned to a reduced role after a one-game absence with an ankle injury. Running back Ty Chandler started and led the backfield with eight of the 10 carries. Chandler had 17 rushing yards and a touchdown. Mattison didn't enter the game until the second quarter.

• Safety Lewis Cine, the 2022 first-round pick, was a healthy inactive for the eighth time this season.