Return of Brian O'Neill is a big deal for Vikings offense
The Minnesota Vikings have seen their playoff chances drop pretty significantly after losing back-to-back games, and as a result, the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers has fallen into the category of do-or-die.So, any help is gladly appreciated. Fortunately for the Vikings, they are receiving a major reinforcement in the form of starting […]
The Minnesota Vikings have seen their playoff chances drop pretty significantly after losing back-to-back games, and as a result, the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers has fallen into the category of do-or-die.
So, any help is gladly appreciated. Fortunately for the Vikings, they are receiving a major reinforcement in the form of starting right tackle Brian O'Neill's return.
The veteran right tackle missed the last two games thanks to an ankle injury he suffered against the Las Vegas Raiders back in Week 14. O'Neill was ruled out ahead of Week 15's game against the Cincinnati Bengals and was essentially a game-time decision in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions.
Now, he doesn't have an injury designation and is expected to be good to go on New Years Eve.
It's a huge boost for the Vikings new starter at quarterback in rookie fifth-rounder, Jaren Hall. Veteran tackle David Quessenberry has played OK in O'Neill's stead, but really struggled against the Lions' pass rush. Per Pro Football Focus, 25% of the pressure faced by Nick Mullens came off the right side of the offensive line, which was far and away the biggest number among the front five. His pass blocking efficiency grade of 95.0 tied for 45th out of 64 qualifying players in Week 16, as well. Overall, it's been inconsistent, at best.
O'Neill, on the other hand, has been very solid all year long and has formed one of the league's best book ends at tackle with Christian Darrisaw. Having both players on the field and healthy is huge this week, as they face one of the NFL's better pass rushing duos in Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.
The Packers line Gary up on the defensive left (offensive right) side of the formation more often than not, so O'Neill should see plenty of Green Bay's top pass rusher throughout the night. The fifth-year veteran is currently in the midst of his best season, yet, and is just a half-sack away from matching his career-high and 1.0 sack away from notching his first year with double-digit QB takedowns.
And when Gary isn't on the left/right side, it'll likely be Smith, who has 7.0 sacks of his own on the year, or promising rookie Lukas Van Ness, or the never-say-die JJ Enagbare getting after it. Either way, O'Neill won't be able to take a single snap off in his first game back since Week 14.
The rest of the final Vikings-Packers injury report
Byron Murphy will miss another game and Theo Jackson, Jaquelin Roy, and Jalen Nailor were all ruled out on Friday, as well. Jordan Addison, Mekhi Blackmon, and Troy Dye are all questionable.
Obviously, Addison's name is the biggest of the questionable bunch and will certainly be someone to keep an eye on, but Blackmon's status is also worth monitoring. The Vikings had to play Jaylin Williams and Andrew Booth at corner after Blackmon exited last week's game and while Booth played OK, Williams did not. Blackmon has played pretty well this year, so it would definitely be a hit if he can't go.
As for the Packers, De'Vondre Campbell, Luke Musgrave, Christian Watson, Emanuel Wilson, and Luke Tenuta were all listed as doubtful. The first three names are starters who also have big roles on both sides of the ball, so it would certainly be a blow to both the Packers offense and defense if they don't play.
Darnell Savage, T.J. Slaton, Dontayvion Wicks, and Robert Rochell were all listed as questionable.
You can check out the full, final Vikings-Packers injury reports, here.
