The Minnesota Vikings are playing the Cleveland Browns in London on Sunday. It’s the fifth game of the season. After their Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, the Browns game is also the Vikings second consecutive game on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. From afar, the Vikings have had to do some juggling of their offensive line. Far too much juggling.
Against the Steelers, the Vikings offensive line was as close to the projected starting five as it’s been all season. Only first-round left guard Donovan Jackson was missing. He had wrist surgery earlier in the week and is expected to be out until after the team’s Week 6 bye. Solid and experienced, Blake Brandel filled in for Jackson at left guard. The offensive line was so close to being whole and the one dreamed about for months. It was going to be beautiful. Instead of beautiful, right tackle Brian O’Neill suffered a sprained MCL while blocking for the field goal that capped the first possession. Center Ryan Kelly exited at halftime with a concussion, his second of the season. The Vikings started the Steelers game so, so close to their ideal offensive line. They finished the game with only two of their projected starters on the field, left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right guard Will Fries.
I’m not sure when it happened. Sometime between the time that he replaced Ryan Kelly in the Steelers game and the initial practice of the week, center Michael Jurgens suffered a hamstring injury. He’s yet to practice this week. With each missed practice, it’s looking less likely that he’ll be available for Sunday’s game against the Browns. Practices this week in preparation for Sunday’s regular season game has looked like a July training camp practice when it comes to the center position. It’s a “what-have-we-got” deal as Blake Brandel, Joe Huber, Henry Byrd, and Vershon Lee have been seen taking center snaps. When I first heard that Jurgens might miss the game, I imagined undrafted free agent Vershon Lee stepping up from the practice squad. It was knee-jerk thought simply because I was impressed with his play in a couple preseason games. Those games were fringe roster players vs. fringe roster players. An undrafted rookie jumping from the practice squad to starting against a talented Browns defensive line is a tough deal. I imagine that Brandel is the next man up at center. He’s a solid, versatile offensive lineman. A sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he came to the Vikings as a tackle. He was a swing-tackle his first three seasons and was effective in five starts. He was the starting left guard last season. If the Vikings hadn’t selected Donovan Jackson in the first round, Brandel would’ve been the starting left guard this season. I always hate seeing teams messing with two positions on the offensive line to replace one. It’s never made sense to me but I’m a fan on a couch. What do I know? Of the candidates for the Vikings center position, Brandel is the best and most experienced offensive lineman. He has taken center snaps in practice over the years but he has no game experience at the position. If Brandel is the choice at center, undrafted rookie Joe Huber is expected to start at left guard against the Browns. That would give the Vikings the following offensive line.
LT Christian Darrisaw
LG Joe Huber
C Blake Brandel
RG Will Fries
RT Justin Skule
At least Christian Darrisaw is out there. Teams often try to put their five best offensive linemen on the field together with little regard to the positions they’ve played. That sort of tinkering is usually done in training camp. Due to injuries, the Vikings are being forced to do it in preparation for a Week 5 game. Injuries are an unfortunate but inevitable aspect of football. Even the most pessimistic among us wouldn’t have predicted a run of injuries that would force the Vikings to field a third-string left guard, a third-string center, and a second-string right tackle in a Week 5 game. The team is real close to having tight end Josh Oliver on the ready for offensive line snaps. With all that in mind, the above five offensive linemen are the five best offensive linemen currently available to the Vikings. For that reason, I do get the decision to mess with two positions to replace one.
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