The Minnesota Vikings offense has yet to find itself with injuries across the offensive line hampering its ability to protect the quarterback.
Through four weeks, the Vikings (2-2) have run the fourth-fewest plays on offense and rank 26th in first downs, results of struggles to sustain drives, build momentum and play complentary football.
It will be several more weeks before the offensive line, expected to miss three starters for a Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, will be back to full strength.
But there is a new wrinkle that the Vikings can add in the meantime.
On Wednesday, October 1, the Vikings announced that two-time Pro Bowl fullback C.J. Ham returned to practice after starting the season on injured reserve.
Ham, 32, is a versatile chess piece that head coach Kevin O’Connell can use to bolster the pass protection and provide a boost in the running game while also being a sneakily capable option in the passing game.
While Ham isn’t going to fix the failures to protect the quarterback, he offers more duplicity for the offense with his versatility as a blocker and receiving threat.
Ham can be a reliable contributor on third down that can be used in many ways and could help ease the offense’s woes amid an injury-plagued start to the season.
His status will likely be determined with how he looks at practice, but Wednesday’s news is a significant step in the right direction for Ham.
Vikings Must Fix Historically Poor Pass Protection
GettyVikings coach Kevin O’Connell and team captain C.J. Ham.
The Vikings have had a historically poor start to the season when it comes to avoiding negative plays.
According to Pro Football Reference, the Vikings have surrendered sacks on 13.95% of dropbacks this season, the highest rate in team history the 12th highest in NFL history.
J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz have the highest pressure-to-sack rate of any quarterbacks in the NFL. McCarthy was sacked on 40.9% of pressures in his first two games, while Wentz has been sacked on 29.0% of pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Sacks are considered a quarterback stat, but considering the a first-year starting quarterback and a veteran QB in the same offense have struggled to avoid sacks, the system is subject to scrutiny.
O’Connell has sprinkled in more quick passes in recent weeks with Wentz, but overall, his offense was built on the foundation of a starting offensive line group that has yet to play a single snap together.
Kevin O’Connell Addresses Vikings Struggles
Field positioning has been the pivotal struggle for the Vikings so far this season.
In Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, three of the Steelers’ six sacks came on third downs when the Vikings needed nine or more yards to move the chains.
O’Connell’s penchant for explosive plays did Wentz no favors when he wound up in these scenarios that proved to be a stalling point for many drives. The Vikings went 4-for-14 on third down last week.
“Those downs tend to be the weighty downs, tend to be the hard ones and the most magnified when you’re down some guys because it requires some individual one-on-one blocks at times,” O’Connell said, per The Minnesota Star Tribune. “You’re trying to do everything you can to eliminate or at least contain some of the very familiar names on the other side that can affect the passer.”
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