Vikings Starter, on Path for All-Pro Season, Ruled Out for 2nd Straight Week

Getty Vikings edge rusher Za'Darius Smith put his Minnesota home on the market amid offseason speculation surrounding his future with the team.

The Minnesota Vikings will be without starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw for a second straight week.

Darrisaw, who despite returning to practice on Friday, was ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets, per a team release. Darrisaw was wearing a red, no-contact jersey at practice as the second-year left tackle is working his way through concussion protocol after being knocked out of each of the past two games.

Darrisaw exited late in the Vikings’ win over the Buffalo Bills on November 13 with concussion symptoms but cleared protocol in time for the following week’s game. However, Darrisaw was knocked out against the Dallas Cowboys, which proved to be a turning point in the 40-3 rout by Dallas on November 20.

Darrisaw is the second-ranked tackle in the league, boasting a 90.0 offensive grade by Pro Football Focus (PFF), behind only his mentor in San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, a nine-time Pro Bowler.

But for a second straight week, Minnesota will have to move on without Darrisaw who could have a lengthy absence after suffering back-to-back concussions.

Third-year tackle Blake Brandel will get the start on Sunday against an imposing Jets pass rush.

No. 1-Ranked Jets Defense Has Favorable Matchups vs. Vikings O-Line

Entering Sunday’s matchup, New York is PFF’s top-ranked unit with an 84.7 defensive grade, bolstered by a pass rush that ranks fifth in pressure rate and seventh in sacks (37).

The Jets defensive front is talented and deep with playmakers who could capitalize on mismatches at both left tackle and in the interior offensive line. Starters Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers will be tasked with putting pressure on the edges, but the biggest mismatch is in the interior.

Quinnen Williams is PFF’s fourth-ranked interior defensive lineman and has nine sacks and 38 pressures on the season. Nelson faces a Vikings interior offensive line that has allowed 100 pressures this season, the most in the league.

“From an efficiency perspective, [the Vikings] have combined to allow pressure on 6.79% of their pass-blocking snaps, which ranks 31st ahead of only the tanking Houston Texans,” Jets X Factor’s Michael Nania wrote. “Quinnen Williams is having an All-Pro caliber season. No interior pass rusher in the NFL is creating pressure on a play-to-play basis like he is. Williams leads all defensive tackles in sack rate (2.97%) and is second in pressure rate (12.54%), collecting 9 sacks and 38 total pressures over 301 pass-rush snaps this season.”

Minnesota will have its hands full with Williams and Co., which have reveled in opposing backfields thanks to the help of a premier cover unit spearheaded by runaway Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and D.J. Reed Jr.

“Quinnen’s a hell of a football player,” Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said in a December 1 press conference. “Really, I didn’t know a lot about Shepherd, the other defensive tackle, and he’s been really impressive on tape. Franklin-Myers, Lawson…what you see is that scheme that Robert (Saleh) brought there from San Fran. They can get pressure with a four-man rush, which is always challenging in any scheme. It’s going to be a big challenge and it’ll be a physical, tough game.”

Vikings Showed Their Answer to Pressure vs. Patriots

While the Jets defense is threatening, the Vikings had faced top-tier defenses in their past four games and have fared well.

Their bounce-back victory over the New England Patriots just four days after the drubbing by Dallas should have some answers for New York as well. It still wasn’t pretty. Kirk Cousins was pressured on 39.5% of his dropbacks, but Kevin O’Connell found ways to keep the veteran quarterback poised under pressure, producing one of his best games this season.

Cousins completed 30-of-37 passes for 299 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for a 116.1 passer rating.

Cousins could find himself on the run again, however, he was given plenty of pre-snap options that helped his decision-making against New England — a strategy Minnesota should employ again.