Pro Football Focus gives absurd grade to Vikings guard, fans clamor for Dalton Risner
The Minnesota Vikings have some question marks on the offensive line. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O'Neill are the long-term starters at those positions and center Garrett Bradbury is secure for the 2024 season. The guard position has some question marks. Left guard feels set in stone with Blake Brandel having taken […]
The Minnesota Vikings have some question marks on the offensive line. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O'Neill are the long-term starters at those positions and center Garrett Bradbury is secure for the 2024 season. The guard position has some question marks.
Left guard feels set in stone with Blake Brandel having taken every first-team rep. Right guard with Ed Ingram is in the same boat having taken every first-team snap. The conviction with Ingram isn't there in the same way.
Why isn't Ingram viewed by many as the presumed starter like Brandel is?
Ed Ingram's playing style
Watching Ingram play football is akin to a heavyweight boxer who is a knockout artist. Think of Mike Tyson. The style is meant to knock your opponent down but if you miss, it can get you in poor situations where your opponent can take advantage of you.
As a rookie, Ingram struggled a lot with that. He would flash his excellent power but when he missed with his hands, it could be a catastrophe. He has shown a lot of growth over his two seasons in staying consistent.
His playing style isn't for everyone. One of the reasons why is that it looks like he loses early but he hasn't lost control of the rep. It's important to know that distinction when talking about Ingram.
That playing style is a big reason why Ingram was the only starter getting reps on offense this past Saturday. Well, that and the injury to Dalton Risner. That context is important.
Odd Pro Football Focus grades
PFF grades are a very controversial topic. Some believe them to be a good evaluation tool while others believe they should be disregarded. In reality, PFF grades should be used as a portion of the evaluation process and nothing more. They are not gospel but it does provide a good baseline to start with.
The interesting thing about Ingram is that his grades often look poor and don't match his performance. This Saturday's game against the Cleveland Browns is a perfect example.
Ingram finished with a PFF grade of 39.2 and a putrid pass-blocking grade of 29.8. In 13 pass-blocking snaps, Ingram was credited with two pressures. One of them (my guess) came from this play.
The play has a three-man slide from the center to the right tackle. They are responsible for the linebacker and two defensive linemen. Kene Nwangwu is responsible for the overhang safety. That is exactly how it plays out. Ingram stays home and blocks his guy. He picks the linebacker due to a quicker path to the quarterback.
Nwangwu is the one who allows his defender to get pressure on the quarterback because he doesn't get a good block on the safety. That doesn't exactly scream pressure.
There was only one other play where Ingram could have allowed pressure by my eye was an interesting one.
Ingram caused and fixed this play. He drives a slanting Michael Hall Jr. into his center Michael Jurgens, which sprung free who he was blocking. Ingram picked him up with ease while Hall forced Mullens to run out of the pocket. I think it's fair to credit Ingram with a pressure here, but not all pressures are created equal.
The rest of his film is objectively solid and it has me raising questions about how players are graded on the offensive line. Is a player like Ingram just destined to grade lower due to his style and a lack of desire to stay engaged but rather punch? That could be.
Should Dalton Risner start?
I'm going to answer this with conviction: absolutely not.
The reason why Risner wasn't re-signed by the Vikings or brought in by another team was due to his inconsistencies as a run blocker. He can't drive defenders back consistently or the athleticism to climb to the second level. It's why he was still available in May after being available in September last season.
The fanbase wants Risner to be the starter at right guard with the main reasoning due to PFF grades. The film that Ingram puts out is honestly better than Risner's and he should keep his job.
Don't be fooled initially by the PFF grades, the film never lies and it's why Ingram should keep his job without a fight.
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