Vikings' Dalvin Tomlinson exits with calf injury, further testing scheduled

Defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson and tight end Irv Smith Jr. will undergo further testing after both Vikings players suffered injuries during Sunday's 34-26 win against the Cardinals.

Tomlinson, who has played well during a 6-1 start, was ruled out in the fourth quarter after clutching at his right leg in an apparent noncontact injury. The 325-pound Tomlinson walked off on his own and said afterward he expected to be "all right." But MRIs will determine the extent of the damage to Tomlinson's leg and Smith's ankle, which was injured at the end of the game.

"Pretty hopeful on [Tomlinson]," coach Kevin O'Connell said. "We'll just see the timeline. He's been so, so big for us. Hope to have him back as soon as possible."

Two other players — edge rusher Za'Darius Smith and receiver Adam Thielen — were briefly checked out for knee contusions and returned to the game. Smith aggravated a left knee injury he originally suffered Sept. 25 against the Lions.

"I went down on my knee," Za'Darius Smith said. "[Someone] fell on it. I felt it, but it went away. Came back out there, as you can see."

Smith and Thielen returned to make big impacts. Smith finished with three sacks — his most in a game since Oct. 5, 2020 — including one on the final drive to help seal the game. Thielen was injured on a 16-yard catch in the second quarter. He returned to make three grabs for another 39 yards, looking fine as he juked a Cardinals defender on an 18-yard grab inside the red zone in the third quarter.

By finishing with six catches for 67 yards, Thielen passed tight end Steve Jordan for third on the Vikings' all-time receptions list. Thielen's 499 grabs now trail only Cris Carter (1,004) and Randy Moss (587).

Defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard did not play because of an illness that had him listed questionable entering the game.

The Cardinals ruled out six injured players before kickoff: running back James Conner (ribs), left tackle D.J. Humphries (back), left guard Max Garcia (shoulder), center Rodney Hudson (knee), cornerback Christian Matthew (hamstring) and linebacker Dennis Gardeck (ankle).

Linebacker Brian Asamoah, the rookie third-round pick, didn't show up on the stat sheet, but he continued to play a bit role against mobile quarterbacks like the Cardinals' Kyler Murray. Asamoah entered the game on obvious passing downs, like a third-and-7 play in the first half, and spied Murray — mirroring his movements to prevent an escape — as Smith got his first of three sacks on the afternoon.

"Allow our athletes to show up in some of those downs," O'Connell said of Asamoah, "especially against a quarterback like that."

Right guard Ed Ingram, the second-round pick, did not have a great day. Ingram appeared to miss Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons on a blitz that ended in a sack, fumble and turnover in the third quarter.

Asamoah and cornerback Akayleb Evans, the fourth-round pick, were among nine players to account for a season-worst 10 penalties as both rookies were flagged on special teams.

Punter Ryan Wright, the undrafted rookie, pinned two of his five attempts inside the Cardinals 20-yard line, including one that rolled out of bounds at the Cardinals 13 to start Arizona's final drive. Wright is tied for second in the NFL with 17 punts downed inside an opponent's 20-yard line.

Linebacker Eric Kendricks joined the disruptive ways of Smith, cornerback Patrick Peterson and linebacker Jordan Hicks as he routinely corralled the Cardinals' screen game, including a deflection on a pass to running back Eno Benjamin and an open-field tackle on receiver Rondale Moore for a 3-yard gain.

Kendricks said he was motivated by Peterson and Hicks' desire to beat their former team.

"I didn't want to make a big deal about it, but I know what it is," Kendricks said. "I know how football goes, and it's an emotional one for them. Gotta be there for them. Also, I had to make the plays that came to me."