Within the Strong Week 1, The Vikings Sprung a Leak
The Vikings had an excellent game in Week 1. But, to be sure, there are things that need to be shored up.
One thinks of the ten missed tackles. Or, perhaps, the shanked Ryan Wright punt. There were far too many penalties, C.J. Ham fumbled the football, and Sam Darnold did toss an interception. So, no doubt, the coaches will have some things to bring up when it comes time to focus on correcting errors.
One wonders, though, if the greatest concern comes along the interior of the offensive line, especially along the right side.
Ed Ingram, the No. 59 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been a below-average player in his career. It’s possible there’s still improvement and he fulfills the potential that exists in a 2nd-Round guard, but the early return on investment hasn’t been promising. How major of an issue is it that Ingram has continued to struggle?
The Vikings Sprung a Leak in Week 1
Kick it over to PFF and you’ll get a sense of the kind of day Dexter Lawrence had.
The analytics website puts the nose tackle as a sizzling 92.6 grade. Yes, there was the sack at the beginning, but the dominance didn’t stop there. Lawrence added on 5 hurries while putting up a 92.3 pass-rush score.
Maybe it’s an overreaction to get too worked up about someone like Lawrence having a great game. After all, we’re talking about one of — if not the — preeminent defensive tackles in the game, especially since Aaron Donald is now retired.
The issue with that thinking is simply that the upcoming teams will also be boasting high-end talent along their defensive front.
In Week 2, the 49ers will be offering Nick Bosa and Javon Hargrave. In Week 3, the Texans will be offering Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. In Week 4, the Packers will be offering Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary. In Week 5, the Jets will be offering Quinnen Williams and Jermaine Johnson.
See the issue?
Kevin O’Connell spoke about the issue recently while sitting down with KFAN’s Paul Allen.
The original topic was the challenge that rested in New York’s Lawrence and how Blake Brandel was going to adjust to life in the starting lineup. O’Connell took that as his cue to pivot into a broader discussion of how defenses are being built and the challenge that exists on a weekly basis.
“It’s how every team is getting built,” O’Connell notes, “you just feel like every week-in and week-out it’s going to be edge rushers, it’s going to be interior guys.” So, the coach isn’t ignorant of the challenge that’s on the schedule. He understands it better than anyone.
What’s so discouraging is simply that investing so much in Ed Ingram was supposed to be part of the remedy for the problem. Snagging a guard at the end of the 2nd is a pretty major investment for the position.
Coming into the year, Ingram said he was feeling good about his game and that he was going to improve.
“For me, [the 2024 season] it’s pretty big,” Ed Ingram explained, “it’s Year 3. Going out there and showing my worth. And just going out there and just playing fast, having fun, and eliminating all of the mistakes from Year 1 and Year 2.” He went on: “Just growing pains, young player coming into the NFL. Now I see things a little bit differently just because I am three years into the NFL now so I feel like everything is going to start slowing down a bit.”
Consider what the numbers have looked like and how they’re currently looking for the RG1:
| Year | Sacks | Hits | Pressures | Penalties |
| 2022 | 11 | 18 | 58 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 | 15 | 42 | 7 |
| 2024 (Ongoing) | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Right now, PFF gives Mr. Ingram a 9.3 pass blocking grade. That’s not a typo.
The Vikings are going into Week 2 as underdogs to an ultra-talented San Francisco 49ers team. Pulling off the win is going to involve a strong effort from top to bottom. Safe to say, though, that one area of concern going into the contest is the right side of that offensive line. If Ed Ingram can’t offer better play, then Sam Darnold could be facing more pressure than is acceptable.
Kickoff takes place at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, September 15th. Both teams are sitting at 1-0.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.