Vikings Bench Star at Wildly Awkward Moment
The Minnesota Vikings prevailed on Sunday in England, conducting a come-from-behind win over the Cleveland Browns. And in crunchtime, Christian Darrisaw — arguably the team’s second-best player behind Justin Jefferson — stood on the sidelines.
In a win over the Cleveland Browns in London, the Minnesota Vikings were without one of their top stars on the field, leaving onlookers baffled.
The choice to sideline Darrisaw caused confusion, with Minnesota later clarifying that the man is on an ACL-related pitch count.
Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw Absent from 4th Quarter Operations
Helluva a guy to have out with a game on the line
No Christian Darrisaw for Vikings in 4th Quarter of Win over Browns
Deep in the heart of Browns-Vikings, with Minnesota trailing and hoping to forge a comeback, Darrisaw was not on the field.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted, “No injury for Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw, per the Vikings. Part of his plan as he rounds back into shape from his ACL/MCL tear. At his snap limit.”
Without Darrisaw — and sans right tackle Brian O’Neill, who sprained his MCL in Week 4 — Minnesota relied on second-year tackle Walter Rouse, in addition to Justin Skule playing for O’Neill.
Quarterback Carson Wentz was forced to rely on the quick passing game to compensate, and anytime the offense encountered a 3rd and Long situation, the trenches gave out, and Wentz did not convert.
A Predetermined Snap Count
Seifert added on X, “Darrisaw played 76 snaps last week, which is a lot. He took two planned rest days during the practice week.”
Darrisaw said after the win, “Those 75 snaps that I took last week were a lot. My body is just getting used to it again.” He also said he was “listening to his body,” which isn’t the worst thing in the world.
And Kevin O’Connell on the Darrisaw snap count: “Christian Darrisaw was part of a plan we knew based upon the high snap count last week. We wanted to be smart with CD and didn’t make it any easier, as far as having to navigate the end of the game there without one of the best left tackles in football.”
“But want to compliment CD, his willingness to continue to ramp up and continue to be such a critical factor for our team. I’m proud of him.”
Strange Timing
The takeaway? Darrisaw’s snap count was a predetermined plan by the team, in consultation with Darrisaw. It’s just that it wasn’t announced. It caught people off guard.
Fans wondered why a pitch count wouldn’t be in play at the start or during the middle of the game, because, like almost all sports, the rubber hits the road in the 4th Quarter. You don’t bring in a closer in MLB during the first or second inning. You wait until the 8th or 9th.
The Vikings evidently didn’t think they’d have that many offensive plays in London, and when the total climbed too high, Darrisaw was parked on the bench.
Offensive Line Somehow Holds Up, for the Most Part
The neat part? The plan worked. Minnesota won by four points over one of the NFL’s very best defenses. Darrisaw was certainly missed, as on all 3rd and Long situations, the Browns’ defensive front disrupted the Vikings’ Darrisaw-less plans and ruined the dropbacks.
Without Darrisaw, Minnesota leaned on Walter Rouse. To the tune of a win over Cleveland, the strategy somehow worked.
The next step will be to determine if Darrisaw leaves in every 4th Quarter when the offense has already undertaken x-amount of plays.
More Darrisaw Takes
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness noted on Darrisaw’s snap count: “It makes sense to continue being careful with Darrisaw, especially since he’s a big part of the Vikings’ success. It also helps that the Vikings mitigated his sitting out with a tremendous performance by the line late in the game. Their play on the final drive was the primary reason the Vikings drove down the field and secured the win.”
“Now that the Vikings are in the bye week, Darrisaw can rest his knee for a week before returning to practice, something that was likely in the cards with how the Vikings plan to proceed to get him ready for the rest of the season. Coming out of the bye, the Vikings have the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, and Detroit Lions. It’ll be a tough stretch, but made much easier with their starting left tackle healthy and ready to go.”
Minnesota is an early three-point home underdog against Philadelphia in Week 7 — or 13 days from now.
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