Getty The Vikings are taking an extra look at starting right guard Ed Ingram (not pictured), sending him out as the only 2022 offensive starter to play in the 2023 preseason opener.
With Minnesota Vikings starting right guard Ed Ingram‘s role in question, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips came to the second-year lineman ahead of a daunting Week 5 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ingram has been scrutinized for clubbing the ball out of Kirk Cousins‘ hand in Week 1 and also stepped on and tripped Cousins three times last season, causing catastrophically negative plays that could have been avoided.
While those plays are flukey and Ingram has made availability his greatest strength, playing the most snaps of any Vikings offensive lineman, his performance has not lent much to tout.
Ingram led the NFL with 63 pressures allowed in his rookie season and is currently third among guards with 14 pressures this season. He’s on pace for nearly 60 pressures again this season and has remained in the lineup despite the signing of veteran guard Dalton Risner in Week 3.
In a news conference on Thursday, October 5, Phillips defended Ingram, saying Ingram’s faults have been magnified by the negative narrative fans have created.
“I think Ed has continued to improve and learn from some of the not-as-positive plays. The thing with offensive line in general, and you see it across the league, but once a narrative is created, and this can be true with any position but especially offensive line, a lot of people and fans don’t always know how to evaluate the position. So, it’s, ‘Hey, this guy can’t play.’ So, everything they do gets magnified. That’s just what you have to live within those instances,” Phillips said.
Vikings’ Choice of Ingram or Risner Isn’t So Obvious
GettyFormer Denver Broncos LG Dalton Risner looks on before a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
In fairness, Ingram has excelled as a run-blocker this season, posting the eighth-highest run-blocking grade (73.2) by Pro Football Focus. That could be a potential factor in the Vikings’ keeping him in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Risner, a more proven pass blocker, has taken first-team reps the past two weeks in practice, along with Blake Brandel, but has still not broken into the starting lineup.
Phillips offered the hypothetical of Chiefs pass rusher Chris Jones winning on Sunday as a potential magnet for criticism. It’s not out of the question this is just foreshadowing that Minnesota is content with rolling Ingram out another week.
“What I’ve been proud of him and our offensive line in general is, blocking out the noise, and just going to work and trying to improve every day. There are going to be times when every offensive lineman in this league gets edged on a block or gets beat by Chris Jones. Those things are going to get highlighted when it’s already been a talking point,” Phillips said. “But I really believe our offensive line has continued to improve, and I thought they had their best game as a five-man group last week that they’ve had as far as both run game and protection. There were a lot of good pockets in there. I just think they’re becoming more cohesive as we go.”
Risner has experience facing Jones for years with the Kansas City’s AFC counterpart Denver Broncos and likely has a better grasp on his tendencies.
But if the Vikings are seeking a more successful running game against the Chiefs, they may keep Ingram in after he helped the offense rush for 130 or more yards the past two weeks.
Garrett Bradbury Poised for Week 5 Return vs. Chiefs
Courtesy of VikingsVikings center Garrett Bradbury
On Friday, Garrett Bradbury was a full participant in practice for the first time since the season opener after he suffered a back injury in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He is poised to retake his starting spot at the center of the offensive line in place of Austin Schlottmann, who is coming off a clean sheet, allowing no pressures, against the Carolina Panthers.
Bradbury should give the Vikings running game a considerable boost, considering he is a key communicator on the offensive front.
Kevin O’Connell has maintained since the beginning of the season that the Vikings are looking for the best five-man combination, but with three losses already on the board, the time for tinkering should have already passed.
“When you add a guy like Dalton in season, you want to give him the opportunity,” O’Connell said, per the Star Tribune. “I have been encouraged by both Dalton and Blake and what that might maybe look like,” he added. “Hopefully we get Garrett back in the middle.”