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The man in the middle, E.J. Henderson, is missing — and it’s not clear how fast he’ll be able to heal. Two dislocated toes on Henderson’s left foot have forced the Vikings to list him as doubtful on the injury report for Monday’s game at New Orleans, and there are indications he could be out longer than that.
Swelling that was slow to subside this week made it difficult for doctors to diagnose the severity of Henderson’s condition, and with the Oct. 26 bye approaching on the schedule it wouldn’t be surprising if Henderson were held out two more games to give him a full month to recover from the injury he suffered last Sunday at Tennessee.
“I hate to conjecture about that,” coach Brad Childress said after Saturday’s practice. He said he’d provide an update next week.
So, in all likelihood, David Herron will be the starter against the Saints.
“We have confidence in him, and it’s a great opportunity for him if he ends up having to start the game,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “We think he’ll be fine.”
Last season, Herron worked at the outside spots but was moved to the middle to back up Henderson — the Vikings’ defensive MVP in 2007 — during training camp. Herron made an impression on the coaches with his ability to process the potentially overwhelming responsibilities given to the “Mike” linebacker.
“It’s always so important in our league, because you’re changing things week to week based on the opponents,” Frazier said. “Can a guy grasp information and then be able to take it out onto the grass? He showed that he can do that. He also has very good athletic ability. He’s a guy who can run. He’s a very good tackler, and he’s able to diagnose things and get off of blocks. Those are attributes as a middle linebacker we thought were important.”
By all accounts, Herron played well in relief of Henderson when he was hurt against the Titans. The Vikings discussed moving Ben Leber from the outside to the middle this week, but decided to keep him and Chad Greenway in their usual spots.
“I just took this opportunity to try to step in and do what I could do,” Herron said, adding: “I believe it builds some confidence. You get to be out there more. You play on special teams, but playing every down is something different.”
Undrafted out of Michigan State, Herron — whose brother, Daniel, is a running back for Ohio State — was signed by the Vikings last year and claimed by New England off waivers after being let go in the final wave of preseason cuts.
The Patriots picked him up, essentially, out of spite.
New England coach Bill Belichick had asked Childress not to claim tight end Garrett Mills, whom the Patriots wanted to pass through waivers and put on the practice squad. Belichick offered to keep his hands off a player the Vikings wanted to keep, but Childress declined the gentlemen’s agreement and publicly criticized his counterpart for being manipulative. Minnesota claimed Mills, and the Patriots picked up Herron — only to cut him the following week.
The Vikings quickly snatched him up again and put him on the practice squad for most of the season. He was on the active roster for the final four games and appeared on special teams in the last two.
Leber will take over handling the calls from Frazier this week, but the Vikings made it sound like Herron could handle it.
“It’s a tough position to come into, as Dave did,” Leber said. “They don’t get a lot of reps during the week, and it showed that he really paid attention and played the mental game, which is what you want young guys to do.“
Notes: Childress said Artis Hicks and Bryant McKinnie will share time at left tackle on Monday, but he declined to name the starter. ... Wide receiver Bernard Berrian has, arguably, the team’s second-most concerning injury, to his right knee. Berrian, who was hurt this week in practice, said he was “optimistic” about playing in New Orleans. Soreness in his toe has hampered him already much of this year. The prize offseason addition to the offense, Berrian has only 11 catches for 195 yards and no scores through four games.
