Aside from QB, Vikings Get Another Riddle to Solve for the W17 Christmas Clash
All eyes are on the QB spot as J.J. McCarthy works through yet another injury. Underneath the high-profile Vikings issue is another one.
Veteran starter Ryan Kelly needed to step away from the game due to a head injury. He has already missed several games in 2025 due to a pair of concussions, so this is a concerning situation. The upcoming game is against the Lions and will take place on the same day that Kris Kringle does his best work. The difficulty, apart from taking on a talented divisional rival, is that there’s some uncertainty for who will be snapping the ball.
Vikings Get Another Riddle to Solve Ahead of W17
When Mr. Kelly left the most recent Vikings game, the pivot was toward sophomore Michael Jurgens. Why? Shouldn’t the move have been to Blake Brandel?
Going into the game, the Vikings ruled out left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Doing so moved Justin Skule into the starting LT opening, creating a domino effect along the way. With the OT3 now the LT1, Minnesota needed a new OT3 (with there being too little confidence in Walter Rouse to give him the job). Blake Brandel, capable of playing all five o-line positions, got tasked with being the backup offensive tackle.
So, some purple dot connecting to figure out what took place going into Week 16.
Minnesota had to prepare a new OT3. Coach O’Connell decided the job should belong to Brandel, meaning he spent his practice reps (the majority, at least) practicing at that spot. Spending all week as a tackle makes an in-game shuffle to center difficult. Jurgens thus got tasked with sliding back into being the main backup center, displacing Brandel from his hard-earned spot as the C2.
Keeping up? There are a few moving parts that (seemingly) got set off by losing Darrisaw.
Now, the issue is going to be what’s going to take place in Week 17. The Thursday Night Football game — Christmas day — is mere days away. Already, we’re sitting at December 23rd. The game hits the schedule on December 25th. Who is being prepped for center duties?
Best guess on this part of the internet is Blake Brandel will jump into the opening. The idea is that he can better help Max Brosmer since he has more NFL experience and a better understanding of Kevin O’Connell’s scheme. He can therefore do a better job of navigating the pre-snap mental workload that’s required of a center.
Jurgens can then function as the backup center while also being available to slot into guard, if needed. Joe Huber will further reinforce the depth. Presumably, Rouse is going to get tasked with playing since operating without Darrisaw and Kelly strains the depth.
Alas, these are simply outside opinions. Minnesota’s coaching staff hasn’t yet called me to get my take, but that’s an educated guess from 30,000 feet.
The practice squad boasts Henry Byrd (someone they seem to like since they’ve bumped him up previously) and there’s Vershon Lee, too. The Vikings have the massive Caleb Etienne at tackle if there needs to be someone to reinforce the OT spot.
Getting super frisky would mean kicking Donovan Jackson out to left tackle, as he did for Ohio State while pushing for a national title. Don’t hold your breath, but it’s at least an option.
Next up for the 7-8 Vikings is an NFC North game against the 8-7 Detroit Lions. Toppling Dan Campbell’s team would mean ending the playoff push for Michigan’s football team.
