Vikings Bench a Starter
The Minnesota Vikings are 7-2, but they need to continue to stack wins to reach the playoffs in an unexpectedly tough NFC playoff battle. Ten, perhaps even 11, wins are necessary to compete in the postseason, and as long as the Detroit Lions are within reach, the Vikings can’t afford to take their foot off the gas pedal.
Vikings Bench a Starter
Ahead of the Week 11 contest in Tennessee, the Vikings make a chance and swap one of their offensive linemen, benching Ed Ingram for Dalton Risner.
Fans of the purple team have been speculating about that move for a while; on Sunday, they pull the trigger. Alec Lewis (The Athletic) reported on X from the stadium: “Looks like Vikings G Dalton Risner is working in with the starter’s group pregame at right guard.”
A few minutes later, the official Vikings website confirmed the move. Lindsey Young wrote: “The Vikings made a change to their starting lineup for Sunday’s game at Tennessee. Dalton Risner is starting at right guard, a position that has been manned by Ed Ingram for 41 of Minnesota’s past 43 regular-season games.”
Risner was a late offseason addition, joining the club more than two months after free agency had opened. He was looking for a new team after signing with the Vikings ahead of Week 3 in 2023. He was competing with Ezra Cleveland last season and ultimately won the left guard spot, allowing the team to ship Cleveland to Jacksonville.
This year was the second for Risner in free agency, and once again, he failed to gain much interest on the open market and re-signed with the Vikings to be their backup offensive guard behind Ingram and longtime reserve Blake Brandel.
The latter has done a decent job between center Garrett Bradbury and left tackles Christian Darrisaw and, following his injury, trade acquisition Cam Robinson. Ingram, meanwhile, has been inconsistent since the Vikings drafted him in the second round in 2022.
Ingram’s designation as a starter has still never changed ‒ until Sunday ‒ after starting all 41 career appearances. Risner is an experienced player who came into the league in the second round in 2019. Sunday marks his 80th career game and his 74th start. It will be his first NFL experience as a right guard after handling the left side for five seasons.
The 29-year-old is a superior pass protector but doesn’t match Ingram’s run blocking. It will be fascinating to watch the change in philosophy unfold.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings made the change based on the matchup with a strong Titans front or if they will continue to roll with Risner going forward.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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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 prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt