On the Minnesota Vikings’ first offensive drive of last Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, right tackle Brian O’Neill went down with a knee injury while the Vikings were attempting a field goal.
Collectively, Vikings fans — along with, I’m sure, head coach Kevin O’Connell — held their breaths. It has since been reported that O’Neill is dealing with an MCL sprain and is considered week-to-week. Given how the first four weeks of the season have unfolded in terms of offensive production and cohesive offensive line play, the news is viewed as a win.
Coming into the season, Minnesota’s efforts to revamp the offensive line were anything but subtle. There was a clear direction from the front office in terms of assembling a unit that would give rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy ample confidence to pick his spots while eliminating interior pressure from opposing defensive lines. We have yet to see that vision fully realized because Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and O’Neill have not yet played together.
The best shot at that happening comes after the bye week. Even then, it’s unlikely. Kelly suffered his second concussion in as many weeks, and O’Neill is dealing with a new knee injury.
Miscommunication among an offensive line with a continuously changing cast is inevitable in the NFL. There’s too much nuance from defenses today that makes that area of weakness easy to exploit with free rushers and stunts that throw off a backup center’s duties. If you pair that with a new quarterback under center in Carson Wentz, growing pains against premier defensive lines could wreck games, as we saw last Sunday.
On the failed third down that led to a field goal on the offense’s opening drive, Patrick Queen comes in as a free rusher because of an ill-timed double team on Cameron Heyward. The clip above is actually not so much about the offensive line as it is about Wentz. However, there needed to be better communication up front for Fries to pick up the blitz and provide slide protection.
Still, there are two hot routes Wentz can go to here, Jefferson and Jordan Mason, both likely leading to a big play. It’s more of what we need to see from this offense early and often. More hot routes and quick hitters are how you navigate murky offensive line play.
The intentional grounding penalty on Minnesota’s potential game-tying drive was the real disappointment, as it resulted from the inability to pick up stunts through the interior. Blake Brandel is filling in for rookie Donovan Jackson, who has already looked like he was worth the first-round pick. Still, Brandel fails to recognize a looping Nick Herbig in time. Brandel has proven before that he can be a reliable option at left guard in a pinch, but it still doesn’t provide patience in wanting to see the line at full health.
The Vikings face another challenge against an ultra-physical front four led by Myles Garrett for the Cleveland Browns in London. With backup center Michael Jurgens banged up, Kelly still in concussion protocol, and Justin Skule filling in for an injured O’Neill, it’s safe to say the offensive line is very much in flux, more than they have been all year. Still, the team must find ways to navigate around this misfortune if they want to head into a needed early bye with their heads held high.
With McCarthy likely returning after the bye week, along with O’Neill and Jackson, the offense has to find a way to keep this thing afloat for one more game before looking at potential relief.
