Sam Darnold has the Vikings' offense humming under Kevin O'Connell but the credit needs to be shared

The Minnesota Vikings have put themselves in a big spot this upcoming Sunday night.  If they defeat the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, they will not only clinch the NFC North, but also the number one seed in the NFC. It will be the first time that the game will be for both a […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings have put themselves in a big spot this upcoming Sunday night. 

If they defeat the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, they will not only clinch the NFC North, but also the number one seed in the NFC. It will be the first time that the game will be for both a division title and the top overall seed.

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Minnesota Vikings offensive line deserves more praise

The offense has been excellent this season. The bulk of the discussion about the Vikings' offense has been centered around the play for quarterback Sam Darnold and the creative play-calling of head coach Kevin O'Connell. 

However, there is a lot of credit that needs to be given to another group. We need to give the offensive line the credit it deserves.

There were some real concern about the offensive line after left tackle Christian Darrisaw went down with a season-ending knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found a way to fortify the unit without much of a dropoff with the Cam Robinson trade. 

The other element that has been impressive is the lack of sacks allowed by the unit. Darnold has been sacked 46 times this season, but it's not all due to the offensive line. Of those 46 sacks, 19 of them have been credited to Darnold because of his scrambling and pocket maneuvering. Darnold is third in time to throw at 3.08 seconds with the offensive scheme being setup to attack down the field and generate explosives.

Darnold has completed 33-62 passes over 20+ yards through the air for a league-high 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also has 22 big-time throws to just eight turnover-worthy plays per Pro Football Focus. That style of offense is explosive, but it also puts the offensive line at a disadvantage.

Asking the offensive line to block for more than 2.5 seconds is a difficult task. ESPN's pass block win rate grades how well teams and players block after 2.5 seconds and the Vikings are among the best in the National Football League, ranking third in the NFL through 16 weeks at 70%.

The Vikings have an offensive line that is performing incredibly well overall. Now, there are still warts on the offensive line. Right guard is still a problem and Blake Brandel has been rough in recent weeks. Improving one more position on this unit could transform it into a true contender for the best offensive line in the NFL.

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