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Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings will be without two key offensive starters Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Running back Alexander Mattison and right tackle Brian O’Neill were both ruled out Thursday because of ankle injuries they suffered last weekend in the Vikings’ 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Neither practiced this week.
Mattison has started all 13 of the Vikings’ games this season and leads the team with 660 rushing yards. Coach Kevin O’Connell indicated that second year running back Ty Chandler will take over the team’s lead back role, with kick returner Kene Nwangwu and fullback C.J. Ham also available for carries.
O’Neill, meanwhile, had also not missed a start this season after recovering from offseason Achilles surgery. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by veteran David Quessenberry.
The injuries to O’Neill and Mattison will add an extra layer of difficulty for quarterback Nick Mullens, who will be the Vikings’ fourth different starter at the position in a seven-game stretch. Mullens will have receiver Justin Jefferson to throw to, however. Jefferson is expected to play his usual number of reps Saturday despite being listed as questionable on the team’s injury report because of a chest injury he suffered against the Raiders.
“He did probably more than I originally expected,” O’Connell said of Jefferson, “and responded really well to all the work. So we feel really good about where Justin’s at.”
Mullens takes over for Joshua Dobbs, who played the majority of the Vikings’ past five games. O’Connell, however, said that Dobbs will be the Vikings’ emergency No. 3 quarterback Saturday, with rookie Jaren Hall backing up Mullens as the No. 2. Hall hasn’t played since suffering a concussion Nov. 5 in his only start of the season.
“I just think that Jaren is fully healthy now” O’Connell said. “I think he’s really gotten back on the grass and really worked through his continued development. [We] wanted him to go about the week this week simulating as if he was playing, just using it as a real tool for his development and growth and he’s done a nice job.”