Shoulder injury ails Vikings' Allen

Jared Allen wore a wrap on his right shoulder Sunday as he dressed in the Vikings locker room following a 28-21 victory over Houston. Asked about the injury, the Pro Bowl defensive end didn't express much concern.

"I don't know, it's football, you get beat up," he said.

Turns out Allen was more beat up than most. Coach Brad Childress said Monday that Allen suffered a sprained shoulder that could force him to miss Sunday's game against rival Green Bay.

"I don't know what exactly he will be able to do this week, or if he will be able to make it to next weekend," Childress said. "We'll just have to evaluate that as we go."

Officially, Allen suffered a sprained AC joint, but Childress said that as of early Monday afternoon he had yet to discuss the results of an MRI exam with team trainer Eric Sugarman.

The sprain -- which really is a separation or dislocation -- was to be graded from 1 to 3, with 3 being the worst. Childress did not know where Allen's sprain ranked, and with players off today, Childress won't address the media again until Wednesday.

The decision on Allen's availability could come down to his pain threshold, which apparently is very high given that he continued to play Sunday. "Pain tolerance is usually what [determines] whether or not you are physically able to go," Childress said. "Some people are able to take it and some people are able not to take it. I'd say it has to do with that."

Allen was at Winter Park on Monday receiving treatment but did not speak with reporters. During an appearance on KSTP-TV (Ch. 5) Sunday night, he had his arm in a sling but said he would play against the Packers.

The Vikings (4-4) obviously can ill afford to lose one of the league's best pass rushers. Allen had two sacks Sunday and now has four in the Vikings' past two games. His seven sacks are tied with Kevin Williams for the team lead.

One reason Allen and Williams have been so successful is because opponents are put in a pick-your-poison situation when it comes to blocking one or the other. Double teams on Allen mean more opportunities for Williams, and vice versa.

It's just the latest bit of potentially bad news for the Vikings defensive line. A week ago, Fox Sports reported that Kevin Williams and fellow defensive tackle Pat Williams both could face four-game suspensions for violating the NFL's steroid policy. Both Williamses played Sunday, and so far the league has yet to acknowledge the report.

Injection was used at halftime

Allen came off the field late in the second quarter Sunday one play after he sacked Texans quarterback Matt Schaub for a 9-yard loss. Childress told Yahoo! Sports that Allen needed a pain-killing injection at halftime in order to finish the game.

Although Allen was able to return, he appeared to get more plays off than usual. One reason might have been that the Vikings attempted to get all of their starting linemen some time to rest because of how much the Texans were throwing the ball.

"He's a tough guy," Childress said of Allen. "There are people that leave the game and don't come back and play with an AC sprain. They can't tolerate it with what they do. That [injury] happened in the first half, and he was able to press on. We just weren't going to be able to keep him off the field."

Allen appeared to be politicking at times to get back in.

"I can remember once in my headset saying, 'Hey, just settle down. This guy was going to take the snap anyway,' " Childress said. "But you'd rather have a guy that's trying to get out there as opposed to somebody that is trying to get off the field."

He doesn't sit out often

While Childress made it clear there is concern about Allen's availability for Sunday -- "That is a painful, painful injury to live with, particularly the way he plays," Childress said -- it would be surprising if Allen does not play.

"You know what, each game I think guys play through something," veteran safety Darren Sharper said. "Whether it's a sprain, a tear, a pull, a bruise. This day and age, the NFL is so rough and the game is so violent that I think each player is playing through something.

"Whenever you're a tough guy, like all of our guys are, you can push through things like that."

Allen, whose backup at right end is Brian Robison, has only missed one game in his four-plus NFL seasons because of injury. That came during his rookie season in 2004 with Kansas City, when a knee injury forced him to the sideline. Allen sat out two games last season, but that was because of an NFL suspension.

He could have added motivation to get on the field against the Packers given that he was credited with only two tackles in the Vikings' 24-19 loss at Green Bay in the season opener. That game marked Allen's debut with the Vikings after being acquired from Kansas City and signing a six-year, $74.5 million contract.