Mike Zimmer expects Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr to make his 2021 debut on Sunday against the Detroit Lions after missing the first four games of the season with a knee injury.
Barr has been able to practice the last couple weeks and has been close to returning, but didn't end up playing against the Seahawks or Browns. He's been dealing with this knee injury since early August.
If Barr does play against the Lions, it'll snap a streak of 18 straight missed games dating back to last year, when he suffered a season-ending pectoral tear in Week 2. Assuming he's close to his 2014-19 self, getting Barr back should provide a significant boost to the Vikings' struggling run defense. Giving up 184 rushing yards to the Browns dropped Minnesota to 25th in rushing yards allowed per game and 28th in yards per carry against.
"Anthony Barr has been in this system for a long, long time," Zimmer said on Monday. "There's certain things we can do with him that we haven't been able to do in these first four ballgames. He's feeling better every single day."
Barr, the No. 9 overall pick in 2014 — the first draft of the Zimmer era — was a key part of the Vikings' defenses that consistently ranked among the league's best from 2015 to 2019. He's a big, physical linebacker at 6'5", 255 pounds who has always been a good tackler and run defender. The Vikings have struggled with missed tackles and run defense in general, so getting Barr back should help. A four-time Pro Bowler, Barr can also be used as a dangerous blitzer or drop into coverage.
Nick Vigil has been solid through the first four games while filling in for Barr, including recording a pick-six against the Cardinals, but he's not on the same level as a run defender. It'll be interesting to see if Barr immediately returns to an every-down role, or if the Vikings continue using Vigil and Blake Lynch in a rotation to ease Barr back into action.
Zimmer didn't have an update on the status of another key piece of the Vikings' run defense, nose tackle Michael Pierce. Pierce aggravated an arm injury against the Browns, didn't play in the second half, and got an MRI after the game. Zimmer said he hadn't yet seen the results of that MRI.
The 1-3 Vikings host the 0-4 Lions at 12 p.m. central at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
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