The Vikings got back to work with a light practice on Monday, taking the field for roughly an hour after giving players the Thanksgiving weekend at home following Thursday's victory over the Patriots.
"It's kind of a bonus type of Monday practice," coach Kevin O'Connell said. "We'll get rolling with our preparation [for the Jets] the rest of the week."
The team will file its first injury report of the week on Wednesday, but it held several players out of the session on Monday. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson and safety Harrison Smith were not seen during the open portion of practice, while linebacker Za'Darius Smith appeared not to be participating.
Cornerback Akayleb Evans participated in a non-contact jersey as he returns from the concussion protocol. Defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, who appears likely to return from a right calf injury on Sunday, participated. After practice, Tomlinson said his four-game absence was to ensure a stable foundation for the 325-pound defender.
"With a muscle strain of that nature, you don't want to rush things," Tomlinson said. "With my position, the calf is a thing you use every single play on double teams, going from run to play-action pass and stuff like that."
'Fight the urge'
With a win against the Jets on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings would clinch at least a share of the NFC North title with five games left in the season. A win and a Lions loss would make the Vikings just the seventh team in the Super Bowl era to clinch the division title with five weeks left in the regular season.
Even if the Vikings don't clinch on Sunday, they'd have a chance to wrap things up on Dec. 11 with a win at Detroit. For now, though, O'Connell said he's telling players not to think too far ahead.
"Can we fight the urge to look big-picture, and [at] the scenarios, and all those things?" he said. "If we can control what we can control, which is preparing like crazy for another really good football team, I think it's important that we focus on that. One of the main goals of this year was winning our division. I do believe that our team can focus on the present and the little things, and also understand that if we continue to do the things we're capable of doing, those things will take care of themselves."
Pro Bowl voting
The Vikings have received the most fan votes for the Pro Bowl of any team so far, the league announced Monday. Five Vikings players — Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson, kick returner Kene Nwangwu, special teamer Kris Boyd and long snapper Andrew DePaola — are the top vote getters at their positions in the NFC.
Fans can vote through Dec. 15 for the annual all-star game that will take on a new format this postseason. The league changed the setup to a multi-day event to be aired on Sunday, Feb. 5 on ABC/ESPN. Players separated onto NFC and AFC squads will compete in skills challenges and a flag football game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Fan voting accounts for one-third of the results. Players and coaches vote Dec. 16.