Packers IDL group will play key role in slowing Vikings offense
By Paul Bretl
It’s fair to say that every week, the interior defensive line plays a key role in slowing down whoever the opposing offense may be. However, this seems particularly true for the Green Bay Packers Week 1 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
This is a Vikings offense that isn’t short on playmakers. At running back is Dalvin Cook, one of the better running backs in the game. At receiver are Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, while at tight end is breakout candidate Irv Smith.
Minnesota will also be unavailing a new offensive scheme under head coach Kevin O’Connell, who will bring some similar Sean McVay principles to the Vikings with up-tempo pace, pre-snap motion, and trying to achieve the illusion of complexity, something we have heard Matt LaFleur discuss as well. This is an offensive system that is supposed to make things easier on the quarterback.
However, if there is still a question mark on this unit, it comes at the offensive line, specifically along the interior.
The Vikings appear to have found some stability at the offensive tackle positions with Brian O’Neil and Christian Darrisaw, although both will be challenged by Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, both of who may require double-teams at various points.
But the interior still remains a bit of an unknown. At right guard is Ed Ingram, who had a strong preseason performance, but he is still a rookie who will be playing in his first regular season game.
Opposite of Ingram at right guard is Ezra Cleveland, who will provide the most stability out of three, finishing the 2021 season ranked 30th out of 90 guards by PFF’s grading system ($$).
Lastly is center Garrett Bradbury, who has consistently ranked near or at the bottom of PFF’s grading system in pass-blocking among centers during his first three NFL seasons.
In separate articles, both PFF and ESPN ($$) would list the Vikings’ interior offensive line as the team’s biggest weakness heading into the 2022 season.
The Packers, on the other hand, have their deepest interior defensive line group in years.
Kenny Clark is Kenny Clark, while Dean Lowry is coming off a career year in quarterback pressures. Jarran Reed is a player who can affect both the running and passing games. Meanwhile, TJ Slaton can eat up space and take on double-teams as the team’s nose tackle. Both players had very good training camps.
Rounding out the rotation is first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, who will need to find more consistency, which begins with his technique, but did show flashes this summer.
Whether it be against the run or the pass, the best way to quickly wreck any play is with pressure up the middle. The rest of the defense also benefits from strong play from the interior defensive line.
If the Vikings choose to double-team Kenny Clark, for example, that may leave Gary or Smith with a one-on-one opportunity. If the defensive front is generating a consistent push, then the Packers linebackers will be kept clean to make plays. And, of course, winning at the line of scrimmage will often mean less coverage time for the defensive backs.
To counter this potential push by the Packers, we could see a lot of quick passes from Kirk Cousins and O’Connell trying to get Cook out outside of the tackle box on running plays.
Even for a stout Green Bay Packers defense, this Vikings offense could present some challenges with all of the weapons that head coach Kevin O’Connell has to work with. But slowing them down begins with the Packers winning at the line of scrimmage against the potential weak point of this Minnesota offensive unit.