NFL Minnesota VikingsTampa Bay Buccaneers

Offensive Line Will Be the X-Factor For Minnesota Vikings In Week 8

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By @Joshmensch27

Phil Loadholt Minnesota Vikings Copy

Going into the season the Minnesota Vikings‘ offensive line was considered by many as one of the best groups in the league. But in the first half of the 2015 NFL season, the Vikings’ offensive line has been horrendous. If they want any hope of pulling off the road upset in Tampa Bay, a feat they haven’t been able to accomplish since before the 1998 team, they will have to be more consistent.

A lot of the blame has been placed on left tackle Matt Kalil, and rightfully so. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft has been a disaster so far this season. Per Pro Football Focus, Kalil is currently rated as the 70th best left tackle in the NFL, only ahead of Atlanta Falcons rookie Jake Matthews. Kalil has allowed a league-high eight sacks and is ranked in the top-10 in QB hurries allowed this season.

While Kalil deserves plenty of blame, he is not the only member of the Vikings’ offensive line who needs to be under the microscope. The loss of Brandon Fusco to a season-ending pectoral injury has forced veteran Vladimir Ducasse into a starting role. Ducasse is Pro Football Focus’ 65th ranked guard, ranking in the bottom five in the league in terms of run blocking (-6.4).

As a whole the Vikings’ offensive line ranks as the second-worst ranked unit in the league in term of Pass Blocking efficiency (74.3), only ahead of the San Diego Chargers.

While the unit has been bad this year, in the team’s two wins, the line has allowed a combined zero sacks. This could be attributed to the fact the team was ahead in those games, leading to a more run-based play-calling.

But in the win against the Falcons, rookie Teddy Bridgewater threw the ball 30 times in his rookie debut. Now the Falcons’ defensive front seven is among the worst in football, but it still shows that the offensive line was asked to protect Bridgewater.

As one would imagine, the line has been horrendous when on the opposite end of the scoreboard. In the Vikings’ five losses this season the offensive line has allowed an average of 4.6 sacks per game, ranking them among the worst in the NFL.

The Vikings have a great opportunity to end the team’s three-game losing streak playing against a Leslie Frazier-led defense that Vikings fans are oh so familiar with. Just like his days in Minnesota, Frazier’s Tampa-2 defensive scheme has been just the stat booster opposing offense has needed allowing a robust 422.8 yards per game to opposing offenses, including 288 yards on average through the air.

Success in the Tampa-2 system is predicated on getting pressure with the defensive line, something the Buccaneers have struggled with so far. Gerald McCoy has been limited through the first half of the season due to an injury, and free agent-signing Michael Johnson has yet to live up to his multi-million dollar contract he signed in the offseason totaling a meager five sacks so far.

I see this weekend as an opportunity for the Vikings’ offense to bounce back in a major way. But in order for Bridgewater to have the success he is capable of, Kalil and the rest of the Minnesota Moving Company must give Bridgewater ample time in the pocket, allowing receivers get open down the field and find the soft spot in Tampa Bay’s defense.

Assuming both John Sullivan (concussion) and Ducasse (knee) are able to play, and early reports indicate they will, I see the Vikings’ offensive line having a successful day controlling the ball on the ground and through the air, leading to a Vikings victory.

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