Every time tight end T.J. Hockenson peeled himself off the turf, he looked more like somebody who wasn’t going to be able to finish the game. He suffered a rib injury last Sunday during the Vikings’ improbable 31-28 road win over the Atlanta Falcons and could be seen wincing in pain on the sidelines.

“Yeah, it was tough,” Hockenson said. “I grinded through it.”

Asked how close he got to leaving the game, Hockenson noted that he has a pretty high pain tolerance.

“That’s something about me,” he said. “I won’t go off the field unless somebody is making me.”

There was a specific moment on Sunday during which Hockenson was receiving medical attention from the training staff on the sidelines. He realized the defense made a play and the offense had to go back onto the field.

“We had a sudden change, and I was like, ‘Hey, leave me alone, I’m going,’ ” Hockenson said. “We came back and they kind of got everything fixed up for me.”

Though he has been a limited participant in practice this week, Hockenson hinted that he plans on playing this Sunday’s game. He wouldn’t miss it. Not when he understands the importance of the game with the Vikings set to host the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“No worries from my side of it,” he said. “Obviously there’s pain. It is what it is. I’m going to be out there for these guys.”

Chandler getting more reps

The fact that running back Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles tendon last weekend has left the Vikings without much depth in the backfield. As of right now, it seems as if fellow running back Ty Chandler is in position to get more reps this week.

“I am excited to see Ty,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He continues to show a level of explosiveness, and continues to do some really good things with the ball in his hand. He’s kind of growing as a player right before our very eyes. I think he’ll get some opportunities.”

Nonetheless, running back Alexander Mattison will likely be asked to shoulder a massive workload with Akers no longer in the mix.

Dobbs explains his process

There’s an unusual piece of equipment that quarterback Josh Dobbs relies on to get himself ready for practice. He keeps a rugby ball tucked away in his locker and tosses it around to get his arm warmed up. Asked about his process, Dobbs explained that because it’s a little bit bigger than a football, it makes the football easier to throw when he switches back.

“I’ve got receivers now catching it,” he said. “Maybe we’ll start a new trend or something.”

Briefly

The only Vikings players who missed practice on Thursday were quarterback Jaren Hall (concussion) and safety Harrison Smith (rest). Meanwhile,  receiver K.J. Osborn (concussion) and defensive tackle Dean Lowry (groin) returned to practice as limited participants, joining Hockenson (ribs), receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring), left tackle Christian Darrisaw (groin), linebacker Brian Asamoah (ankle) and tight end Johnny Mundt (knee) with that injury designation.

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