MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer didn't seem terribly concerned on Monday that right guard Vladimir Ducasse's knee injury was serious, and it appears he didn't have much reason to worry.
A league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan it's not believed there is any structural damage to Ducasse's knee after he was injured in the first quarter of the Vikings' game in Buffalo on Sunday. Ducasse wants to practice on Wednesday, the source said, but even if he misses practice time this week, he might still be able to play on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
The guard "bumped his knee," as Zimmer put it, when Bills tackle Marcell Dareus appeared to fall on the guard's heels while Ducasse was pulling for Jerick McKinnon on an outside run. He was replaced by Mike Harris for the rest of the game, and said afterward he wasn't sure exactly how he'd hurt his knee, adding he'd felt a "sharp pain" when the injury happened.
The Vikings will have to monitor Ducasse's health throughout the week, and would likely need to make some adjustments to their active roster on Sunday if Ducasse can't go. They only kept seven linemen active last week against the Bills, listing guard David Yankey and swing tackle Austin Wentworth among their inactives, and they were down to their last linemen after Ducasse got injured on the same play center John Sullivan sustained a concussion. If Ducasse is unable to start on Sunday, Yankey or Wentworth could be active for their first NFL game.