The Minnesota Vikings made the offensive line their primary priority for the offseason, using significant resources in free agency and the draft to change all three interior spots.
Not only did their sobering exit from the playoffs last season reinforce the necessity of more reliable protection that allows the strong potential of their downfield passing game to be realized, but they've struggled to produce a consistent rushing attack in recent years with particular problems on short-yardage plays.
So they signed right guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly to big contracts and drafted left guard Donovan Jackson in the first round, believing the upgrades would help ease quarterback J.J. McCarthy into action with all of the skill-position support around him and a sturdy defense on the other side. But some of the best-laid plans in the NFL have been by spoiled injuries, as the Vikings have been reminded this month during their 2-2 start.
They haven't had their projected starting offensive line together for any of their four games, and injuries on Sunday during their 24-21 defeat by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin have further darkened their outlook up front for the time being.
Kelly was placed in the concussion protocol for the second time in three weeks, and the 10-year veteran has had a concerning five reported concussions in his career. Right tackle Brian O'Neill, who'd been the only player on the line to date to not miss any time, hurt his knee and was being evaluated for an MCL injury. Jackson had wrist surgery earlier in the week, forcing his first absence that will likely extend through the Week 6 bye.
“We’re still figuring it out, just dealing with different circumstances, injuries, people having to step up in different spots,” receiver Justin Jefferson said. “It’s difficult. This game of football is not really predictable, and a lot of things can really jump at you when you’re really not expecting it to.”
McCarthy was constantly under pressure in his two games before being sidelined by a sprained ankle. Carson Wentz has experienced the same.
“When you get down, you dig yourself a hole like that, the D-line kind of pins ears back and rushes and we’re throwing time and time again,” said Wentz, who was sacked six times by the Steelers despite a season-high 372 total yards by the offense.
The Vikings have been sacked on 14% of their passing plays, the worst in the league — and a historically bad rate. Only the 2023 New York Giants and the 2002 Houston Texans had higher rates over the past 39 seasons, according to Sportradar.
"I don’t look at it as anything more than the next man up,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We’ve got to consistently do some more simple things early on in the game, from the standpoint of doing our job.”
What's working
For a quarterback with his sixth different team in six years who has only been with the Vikings for a month, Wentz has been effectively spreading the ball around at all levels of the field when he's given time to throw. He started the game on Sunday with 11 straight completions and finished with 350 passing yards, the sixth-highest total of his 10-year career and his most since Oct. 9, 2022, with Washington.
What needs help
The offense has stumbled badly on third downs, which typically goes hand in hand with a failure in pass protection. The Vikings rank fourth worst in the league with a 30.6% conversion rate. On third downs with between 7 and 10 yards to go, according to Sportradar data, the Vikings are last in the NFL with just one conversion in 12 attempts (8.3%).
Stock up
DT Jalen Redmond. The late-blooming 26-year-old, who spent time in the UFL last year before latching on with the Vikings, had two sacks of Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.
Stock down
LB Ivan Pace Jr. The third-year player leads the team with 28 tackles, but per Sportradar tracking he has six missed tackles, tied for the third most in the league. Without Blake Cashman next to him, Pace hasn't been as effective, and part of a run defense that has been vulnerable in both defeats. Pace also appeared to vacate the zone where D.K. Metcalf caught the pass from Rodgers he turned into an 80-yard touchdown reception on Sunday.
Injury report
The setbacks for Kelly and O'Neill will loom large over the game plan for this week. QB J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and LG Donovan Jackson (wrist) will likely miss at least one more game. OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) has missed two of the first four games and is uncertain for this week. Cashman (hamstring) must sit out at least one more game on injured reserve. Jones (hamstring) will miss at least two more games.
Key number
7,758 — Jefferson's career receiving yardage total, pushing him past Anthony Carter for third on the team's all-time list. Jefferson now trails Randy Moss for second by 1,558 yards.
Up next
The Vikings face the Cleveland Browns next to become the first NFL team to play consecutive international games in different countries when they cross the Irish Sea and return to Tottenham Stadium in London, where they will suit up for the third time in four seasons.
The Vikings also were the road team against the Browns at Twickenham Stadium in London in 2017, when they posted a 33-16 victory. Factoring in the new club the Browns were awarded in 1999 after the original franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996, the league's scheduling formula reset in 2002 for the divisional realignment to accommodate a 32nd team and these two matchups in London, the Vikings will only play one game in Cleveland (2009) in a staggering 43-year stretch until they're on track to visit there in 2033.