Vikings Need Cam Robinson at His Best
The first of two huge divisional battles for the Minnesota Vikings occurs at US Bank Stadium on Sunday. The Green Bay Packers visit with both teams assured of the playoffs but with the Vikings having the division title and number one seed to play for.
Vikings Need Cam Robinson at His Best
If Minnesota is going to get the job done and go on to Detroit to fight for the division, they almost certainly have to win this week. To do that, the Vikings need Cam Robinson at his best to get the best from the Vikings’ OL, which will be in a battle with the Packers’ defense.
The season-ending injury to Minnesota’s star left tackle Christian Darrisaw was a huge blow, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved quickly to trade for Robinson with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move gave the Vikings a short-term starting-caliber tackle to continue their playoff push, something those who didn’t believe the Vikings could continue their strong start raised eyebrows at. The move has been vindicated as the Vikings sit with a 13-2 record and winning all eight games since Robinson arrived.
Robinson, who picked up a foot injury in late November’s game against the Chicago Bears, had had two rough outings over the last two weeks. In Week 15’s return game against the Bears, Robinson allowed four pressures and also committed four pre-snap penalties in his worst outing as a Viking — indicated by his 48.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. The penalties were cleaned up last week in Seattle, but Robinson allowed five pressures and scored by far his lowest pass-blocking grade of the season, 45.7, via PFF.
Robinson excels at pass protection. Although his run blocking is average, he has kept Sam Darnold well-protected since arriving in Minnesota. Now is not the time of the season to dip in form, as the Vikings will only play playoff-caliber teams from here on out.
The Vikings rely heavily on their tackles, with Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill being the stand-out players for a long time now, while inconsistent play has been the norm from the interior. It was a big ask of Robinson to come in and fill Darrisaw’s shoes, and he has performed admirably.
Stopping the Packers’ Pass Rush
Green Bay is efficient at getting after the opposing quarterback, with 43 sacks this season as a team — one less than the Vikings. While the Packers don’t have a major standout pass-rusher, with Rashan Gary leading the team with 6.5 sacks, they get pressure from all over, with 16 different players responsible for a sack this season. The Vikings’ defense is often at its best when Kevin O’Connell schemes extra help in pass protection from fullbacks, running backs, and tight ends. Give Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson enough time, and they will often get open against any coverage.
Kingsley Enagbare will be the primary opponent for Robinson, along with Gary, depending on which side they line up. Enagbare has 4.5 sacks so far this season. It is a matchup the Vikings need Robinson to win trying to try and find solutions for the interior – particularly Devonte Wyatt. As well as the rushers coming from elsewhere on blitzes. Darnold’s mobility and ability to navigate the pocket has helped the Vikings’ offense overcome some of the OL’s deficiencies. However, in the big games to come, the Vikings need their OL to stand strong, and it starts with Robinson and O’Neill on the edge.
On Sunday, there will be a battle in the trenches, and whoever wins those battles is likely to win the game.
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