Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss his third consecutive start with a right high ankle sprain and has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns in London.
Carson Wentz will start in his place for the third straight week. The Vikings had hoped McCarthy could participate in Friday’s practice, but coach Kevin O’Connell opted to hold him out due to rainy conditions at the team’s temporary facility.
“He got through the week pretty well,” O’Connell said. “My hope was to try to get him some work… but with the weather and the tight field space, we wanted to be smart with that. We’re very much looking forward to spending some time with him next week and see where he is at coming out of the bye.”
McCarthy sustained the injury on September 14 in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He finished the game but has not practiced since. In his two starts as the replacement, Wentz has completed 44 of 66 passes for 523 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Wentz will be playing behind a severely depleted offensive line, as the Vikings ruled out four key players on Friday. Starting center Ryan Kelly (concussion), backup center Michael Jurgens (hamstring), right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee), and left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist) will all be inactive.
The injuries force a significant reshuffling of the offensive front. Guard Blake Brandel will move to center, a position he confirmed he has never played in a game.
“I’ve had a lot of practice reps, thankfully, whether that’s scout team or whatever,” Brandel said. “It’s just one of those things where I knew there at some point could be a possibility, and we’re here.”
Undrafted rookie Joe Huber is expected to start at left guard, while Justin Skule will fill in at right tackle.
Following the game in London, the Vikings have a bye week before returning to play the Philadelphia Eagles on October 19 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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