Vikings lose more than a game in Week 8 and it's going to hurt their chances to stay competitive

Losing the second consecutive game was a problem for the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. But the game against the Los Angeles Rams ended up being much worse for the team's season. After leaving the game early with a knee injury, left tackle Christian Darrisaw's tests revealed on Friday that the offensive lineman is out […]

Wendell Ferreira — NFL News Writer
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Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (71) during practice at The Grove.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Losing the second consecutive game was a problem for the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. But the game against the Los Angeles Rams ended up being much worse for the team's season. After leaving the game early with a knee injury, left tackle Christian Darrisaw's tests revealed on Friday that the offensive lineman is out for the rest of the season.

Multiple reports indicated Darrisaw would go through a season-ending surgery. Later, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed that the tackle suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.

The Vikings had scored 14 points before Darrisaw's injury late in the second quarter. It happened during play in the final seconds before halftime. After that, Minnesota only scored six points for the rest of the game, losing 30-20 to the Los Angeles Rams and dropping to 5-2 in the regular season after a 5-0 start.

Repercussions

Without Christian Darrisaw, swing tackle David Quessenberry played at left tackle for the Vikings. While Darrisaw had a 77.5 pass block grade according to PFF in 15 pass block snaps, Quessenberry played 14 snaps and had a 46.7 pass block grade. It's a huge difference, especially considering how much it's important for the Vikings to protect quarterback Sam Darnold from pressure.

Beyond David Quessenberry, the Vikings' most likely option is to adjust the offensive line as soon as experienced guard Dalton Risner returns from injured reserve — which might happen as soon as next week. Putting Risner at left guard would allow the Vikings to move Blake Brandel to left tackle. On the depth chart, the backup left tackle is sixth-round rookie Walter Rouse.

Future

Back in July, Christian Darrisaw signed a four-year, $104 million extension with the Minnesota Vikings. A first-round pick in 2021, the left tackle has been one of the premier young offensive linemen in football. He is making $19.055 million in 2024.  Darrisaw is under contract with Minnesota through 2029.

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