Brian Robison injury: Vikings defensive end improving after returning to field

Minnesota defensive end Brian Robison may not be 100 percent again until some time in the offseason, but his injured shoulder is stable enough for Robison to make plays on defense.

After the shoulder injury kept him sidelined for Week 16 at Houston, Robison was available for the Vikings' must-win game against Green Bay in the final game of the regular season. Not only did Robison return but he made a huge play, after chasing down Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and stripping him from behind to force a fumble Minnesota recovered and later converted to an Adrian Peterson touchdown.

The shoulder remains a concern for Robison as he prepares for the NFC Wild Card game and chasing Rodgers again on Saturday night. According to 1500 ESPN, Robison is feeling better a couple of days removed from his last action.

Robison returned to play last Sunday, despite the fact he continues to deal with the pain from a Grade 2 sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder.

"It's better today than it was after the game," Robison said. " ... Hopefully it will be better this week than it was last week."

While the shoulder may feel betters, Robison still has to adjust to playing at less than full strength while still trying to make plays for the Vikings defense.