All eyes were on star left tackle Christian Darrisaw last week as the Vikings prepared for a prime time game against the Chicago Bears. He went through an intense workout with offensive line coach Chris Kuper in the hours leading up to kickoff before ultimately being ruled out.

Maybe, some figured, the Vikings simply didn’t want to risk Darrisaw returning from torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on the iffy playing surface at Soldier Field. The assumption was that he would be ready to go against Atlanta on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Not quite.

After showing up on the injury report as a limited participant twice this week, Darrisaw was ruled out for the game against the Falcons. That raised a red flag considering he was listed as questionable last week.

Asked if Darrisaw had suffered a setback, head coach Kevin O’Connell replied, “Nope.”

He went on to explain that the Vikings wouldn’t have been able to let Darrisaw go through those simulated reps with Kuper last week unless he was listed as questionable.

“It was a total positive,” O’Connell said. “(It was) just allowing Christian to go feel the atmosphere and start getting his mind in that place where he could go.”

It’s still unclear when Darrisaw will make his highly anticipated return.

“He continues to progress,” O’Connell said. “He’s still so far ahead of schedule, and is in such a great place on the daily, that we want to continue that.”

As eager as everybody is to have Darrisaw protecting the blindside of young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, O’Connell emphasized that the Vikings are approaching this situation with a focus on the long term rather than the short term.

“We’re going to continue to work through it the right way as we kind of like to handle everything around here,” O’Connell said. “There’s really not much more that I can say at this time that would be of any use.”

Smith inactive

After being listed as questionable this week, veteran safety Harrison Smith was inactive. He continues to work his way back from a personal health issue that dates back to training camp.

The Vikings’ other inactives were Darrisaw, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, cornerback Jeff Okudah, linebacker Austin Keys, left guard Joe Huber and quarterback Max Brosmer, who was available on an emergency basis.

Allen honored

It’s fitting that former Vikings defensive end Jared Allen led the Skol chant and sounded the Gjallarhorn before kickoff following his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month. He also was scheduled to be recognized at halftime with a ceremony in his honor.

J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings is stopped on fourth down by Kaden Elliss #55 of the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter in the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Owner and President Mark Wilf of the Minnesota Vikings, left, and owner and chairman Zygi Wilf, right, pose with former player Jared Allen before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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Harper Moyski, 10, was one of the victims of the Aug. 27, 2025 mass shooting in Minneapolis. (Courtesy of the Moyski family)

Walking sticks aren’t just for the old. They are for the adventurous.

In one of the photos provided by Harper Moyski’s family ahead of her memorial service on Sunday, Harper is seen looking across a valley at a craggy mountain inside what appears to be Zion National Park in Utah.

In her right hand is a walking stick. Her stance is confident as she uses the stick to poke into an uneven, stone path high above the valley floor.

Harper, 10, was one of two children who were shot and killed at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis last month. The funeral for the other victim — Fletcher Merkel, 8 — was held a week ago.

It was Harper’s goal to see all 63 national parks in the United States before graduating from college.

She was “wide-eyed, curious, and always up for the next trail,” her parents, Jackie Flavin and Mike Moyski, and a younger sister, Quinn Moyski, noted in a published obituary.

Weather didn’t seem to deter Harper and her family from getting outside. Another photo shows Harper in a pink stocking cap. Behind her is a snow- and icicle-clad ridge. Other photos are also in natural settings, including one where she’s lifted her arms joyfully above her head and is reaching for the clouds, a purple backpack strapped around a red Wisconsin Badgers hoodie.

She appears to be no more than 3 or 4 years old in the photo.

Her family said Harper already had career aspirations of becoming a veterinarian. She “had the heart and smarts to do it,” they wrote. “Snakes, frogs, and bugs never scared her.”

‘Thank God she made it all count’

At a memorial service on Sunday, heart-shaped pins and baked goods were passed out to guests, and blue and green ribbons were tied around beams.

Father Tom Hurley of Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago led the service. He emphasized peace, non-violence and justice. He described Harper as someone who was “always all in,” in whatever she did.

“Are we all in to change our world?” he asked. “Are we all in so that we never, ever, ever have to come here again? We shouldn’t. Because we shouldn’t be here. I challenge us, are we all in?”

Harper’s parents — Jackie Flavin and Mike Moyski — eulogized Harper, sharing three lessons they learned from her. Be your own kind of light. Let your light be big. Light grows when we share it.

They described Harper as unapologetically herself.

“She had her own point of view, her own sense of style, her own sense of being,” Flavin said. “She packed so much joy and imagination into her short 10 years, and thank God. Thank God she made it all count. She taught us to live fully, and feel everything deeply.”

Flavin and Moyski thanked the community for the outpouring of support and love they have felt over the past few weeks.

“There’s so much love and support reaching our path that we haven’t felt lost. Shattered and heartbroken, but not lost,” Flavin said.

Flavin said like the love she has received from others after the death of Harper, the love of her daughter isn’t something that will ever fade. It is something she will always carry.

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“That kind of love doesn’t disappear or die, it becomes a force capable of carrying us, changing us and maybe even changing some laws, too,” she said.

The service ended with a performance of “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood. There was a moment of silence for Harper, leading to a final blessing and celebration, including food trucks and dancing in her honor.

The Annunciation parish and school community is resuming some of its on-campus activities following a mass shooting that left two children dead and injured 17 people, one of whom is still hospitalized.

“We have spent the past weeks preparing for a safe, supportive resumption that is focused on healing and connection,” Annunciation stated in a Sunday news release.

Amidst the heaviness of tragedy, Annunciation announced that school programming centering “support, connection and play” will be available Tuesday through Thursday for students of all grades, according to the release.

“Annunciation wants its neighbors to know how blessed they feel by the love and support surrounding them on all sides,” the release said. “As we continue to lift up Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel, and to pray for Sophia Forchas and all our injured community members in their recovery, we recognize the natural interest in the timetable for the reopening of our school.”

On Wednesday, August 27, a gunman shot through the windows of Annunciation Catholic School during the school’s first week, during Mass. 18 people were injured; two children, Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed during the shooting; and one child remains in serious condition.

Following the shooting, Minnesota community members have continuously gathered to mourn those lost and create environments that foster support and togetherness. Many people and students have also advocated for legislative action on gun control.

This week, the Washburn Center for Children and the Minnesota Department of Education will be on campus at Annunciation Catholic School to offer resources and support to students and staff.

A visible security presence will remain on campus throughout the week, the release stated.

“As we experience next week, we will have a better sense of our next steps for the weeks ahead,” the release said. “When we have firm plans for the week of September 22nd and beyond, we will share those first with our families, staff, and then update others.”

Staff and school leaders will not engage in interviews for press events during this time. Members of the press are asked not to visit the campus this week.

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By ANDREW DALTON, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Studio” looks like a runaway hit, the innies and outies of “Severance” could solidify a spot among the prestige TV elite, and Noah Wyle could finally have his big awards moment as the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards arrive.

Comic Nate Bargatze will be a first-time host Sunday night when the ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles airs on CBS Sunday night.

Apple TV+ is poised to have a breakout Emmy year with the two most nominated shows, “Severance” and “The Studio,” which are the favorites to win the two biggest awards.

The Emmys air live on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers may stream the show live. Standard Paramount+ subscribers can stream it Monday through Sept. 21.

How the competition is shaping up at Sunday’s Emmys

“The Studio,” with co-creator Seth Rogen starring as the new head of a movie studio, comes into the evening with blockbuster buzz for its breakout first season.

It tied a record for a comedy with 23 nominations, and with nine Emmys already won at last weekend’s Creative Arts ceremony. It would be a major surprise if it did not break the record of 11 Emmy wins in a season by a comedy.

It could win as many as 15, and Rogen himself could win four times, as an actor, a writer a director and an executive producer.

“The Bear” and “Hacks” which have dominated the comedy Emmys in recent years, are both again up for best comedy series but suddenly find themselves underdogs.

“Severance,” the Orwellian office drama about people who surgically split their psyches into workplace “innies” and home “outies,” was the top overall nominee with 27 nominations for its second season. It won six at the Creative Arts ceremony.

Along with best drama — which would be a first for Apple — it’s nominated in all four dramatic acting categories, with stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower each looking for their first Emmys.

Its top competition for best drama could be “The Pitt,” HBO’s acclaimed drama about one shift in the life of an emergency room.

Its star Noah Wyle could be both the sentimental favorite and the actual favorite for best actor. He was nominated five times without a win for playing a young doctor on “ER” in the 1990s, and now could finally take his trophy for what is in many ways a reprise of the role.

HBO’s prestige resort soap “The White Lotus” could also be in the mix for best drama its Thailand-set third season and has three nominees apiece in each of the drama supporting acting categories.

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Older women could shine in actress categories

It could be an unprecedented night of Hollywood recognition for older women in an industry known for discarding female actors.

Oscar-winner Kathy Bates at 78 could become the oldest winner ever in the best actress in a drama category for playing the title role in CBS’ “Matlock.” She’d be the first woman from a network series to win the award in a decade.

And Jean Smart at 73 could extend her own record for oldest winner of best actress in a comedy if she wins for “Hacks” as she has for all three previous seasons of the show.

‘Adolescence’ and ‘The Penguin’ headline limited series

Netflix’s “Adolescence,” the story of a 13-year-old in Britain accused of a killing whose four episodes each take place in one continuous shot, may be the year’s most acclaimed show and is the consensus favorite for best limited series. Fifteen-year-old Owen Cooper could become the youngest Emmy winner in more than 40 years for playing the accused.

But HBO’s dark Batman universe show “The Penguin” got the biggest number of limited series nominations and won eight times at the Creative Arts ceremony.

Colin Farrell is nominated for lead actor playing the title character, and Cristin Milioti is nominated for actress for playing his nemesis. Both are considered strong contenders.

A send-off for Stephen Colbert

Not all of the CBS attention Sunday night may be positive.

Voters could give “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” the Emmy for best talk series for the first time as a sort of protest vote and tribute to its host, weeks after its cancellation by the network.

Many perceived the end of the show as punishment of Colbert and placation of President Donald Trump after Colbert was harshly critical of a legal settlement between the president and Paramount, which needed administration approval for a sale to Skydance Media. Executives called the decision strictly financial.