Aug 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler (32) celebrates with Minnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram (67) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
Another week, another loss for the Minnesota Vikings, who are in reach of the first overall pick early in the season, compared to the expectations that had the organization fight for a playoff spot.
Turnovers in key moments and mental mistakes led to a disastrous start to the season. The team must improve in some areas to have a serious shot at playing meaningful football in January.
Even in losses, some guys play well, although many Vikings could be singled out that had a poor day. Akayleb Evans and Byron Murphy couldn’t deliver decent coverage, especially not with Justin Herbert looking like an All-Pro caliber player. The front couldn’t consistently provide pressure. Those things produced an elite passing attack that was unstoppable.
On the offensive side, many would agree on the fact that the offensive line didn’t play well in pass protection. Kirk Cousins has been the most-hit quarterback in 2022 and that trend has been continuing in 2023. He was running for his life multiple times in Week 3, and the whole line struggled as the five guys gave up a combined 19 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Regardless, the same site put one of the linemen in the Week 3 team of the week. Sophomore Ed Ingram made it, and that is a strange decision. The right guard allowed six pressures and a couple of sacks. He has been prone to giving up pressures in pass protection, as his strong suit is clearly blocking on running plays.
And that is precisely why he made the team. He was given an elite 91.1 run-blocking grade, a truly phenomenal number. There is a reason why the rushing attack worked in Week 3 and Ingram and his teammates are a big reason why.
Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler rushed for 120 yards against the Chargers after combining 69 in the first two games, an awful number. The running game is an important aspect for the Vikings because it helps to open up the passing game.
Minnesota’s lines in recent years had a history of employing offensive linemen who are good at opening running lanes but bad at keeping the QB clean. And Ingram is of that same mold. Vikings fans want to move on from Ingram sooner rather than later and the addition of Dalton Risner added to that desire.
Fans, in general, value pass protectors more, but coaching staffs think differently. There is a chance that they are happy with the way Ingram has played and developed. His run blocking is looking pretty solid. However, the Vikings have a pass-heavy offense, so it is kind of strange that the franchise doesn’t emphasize the pass-blocking aspect.
Risner is the embodiment of that. He is a much better pass blocker but not a good run blocker. It remains to be seen if the Vikes will make a change up front leading up to the crucial Week 4 contest that must start a big turnaround.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt