Courtesy of Vikings The Vikings-Falcons game is in danger of being postponed and cutting into the Vikings' bye week.
The Vikings have become a coronavirus case study, having weathered the first outbreak during training camp, false positives and playing on a short week after facing the Titans in Week 3 just days before Tennessee’s outbreak.
The latest trial comes Thursday morning as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Falcons produced four new positive coronavirus tests after placing defensive tackle Marlon Davidson on the COVID-19 reserve list on Wednesday.
The NFL and Falcons disputed Schefter’s report, claiming that only one additional positive test from a team personnel member was produced on Thursday. An NFL spokesperson told the Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer that “the ESPN report was inaccurate. There is one positive today from a team personnel member (not a player). There’s no change in the status of the (#Vikings-Falcons) game at this time.”
The Falcons closed their practice facility in response to the positive test on Thursday, and while the Vikings-Falcons game is unchanged at the moment, developments in the next two days could result in postponement that could be detrimental to the rest of the season.
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Postponement Could Cut Into Bye Week
The Vikings were slated for a Week 7 bye week that couldn’t have been more opportune with Dalvin Cook ailing from a groin strain that will likely keep him out of the game against the Falcons. The Vikings confidence in Alexander Mattison has played a factor in not rushing Cook back and instead holding him out as a precautionary measure.
If the Vikings-Falcons game gets pushed back to Monday or Tuesday, it will cut into the team’s bye week if there are no other scheduling changes made in the Vikings’ Week 8 meeting with the Packers. If more positive tests role out of the Falcons camp throughout the week, this could become the solution.
It’s also worth noting that after the Titans-Bills game was pushed back to last Tuesday, the Titans produced a positive test that Sunday.
NFL Could Side With Falcons & Postpone
The difference between the Vikings and Falcons closing of their practice facilities is all timing. The Vikings reopened on Thursday, which is a valuable day for game prep. The Falcons, on the other hand, closed their facility this Thursday and likely hasn’t had much in-person game prep.
Considering this is also the first week without head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, the organization is reeling trying to put together a game plan without two of its most vital framers.
If contact tracing produces any more positive tests in the next 24 hours, the game will likely be pushed back from its original Sunday noon start time.
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- Analyst Grills Vikings Lineman: ‘He’s About as Bad as You’ll See’Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.