The Vikings officially opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who has missed the last four games on injured reserve due to a hamstring strain. The team also signed cornerback Ambry Thomas, a 2021 third-round pick by the 49ers, to the practice squad. He started 11 games over three years for San Francisco, but he had spent this season on IR before being released on Dec. 17.
Veteran safety Bobby McCain has started 88 games, including a playoff game, but he had played just three defensive snaps all season before Sunday’s win in Seattle. Flores relied on McCain and safety Theo Jackson, who had the game-sealing interception, to replace the injured Harrison Smith.
But the 31-year-old McCain’s impact went beyond the defense. He also helped the Vikings offense convert an early fourth down to tight end T.J. Hockenson by sniffing out a weakness in the original play design during practice last week.
“We ran that in practice and Bobby took it away,” coach Kevin O’Connell said, “and my immediate dialogue was not, ‘Hey, let’s get the look right.’ It was, ‘Bobby, what’d you think on that? What would help it?’ So, we made some adjustments to it that ended up playing out in the game.”