Minnesota Vikings offensive line aware of protection problems

The Minnesota Vikings had a disappointing game on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, and the offensive line is willing some blame for the loss.

The Minnesota Vikings took a step backwards on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. The team made many mistakes on their way to a 13-30 loss, with many players taking responsibility for their poor performance.  However, none of players were more vocal about their frustrations than the patchwork offensive line.

While quarterback Teddy Bridgewater still had a solid day throwing the football, he was still sacked 6 times and lost 48 yards on those plays. Not only were the sacks a problem, but Minnesota was penalized often on the offensive line. The biggest culprit in Sunday’s game for penalities was offensive lineman Matt Kalil, but others also struggled badly.

Several of the Minnesota Vikings players on the offensive line spoke about their problems to the Star Tribune following the game, and none of them were pleased with their performance.

"“I thought we took the next step,” left guard Brandon Fusco said Sunday. “I thought we were getting better and [Sunday] we just didn’t play as a whole. We had penalties to start [several] drives. … We weren’t physical enough against them. They had a good game plan of stunts and different looks and contain Adrian and make us one-dimensional.”"

Nov 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) stays down after a sack during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Fusco isn’t wrong. When watching the game, it appeared as though the offensive line was getting bullied in the trenches, specifically on the left side where Fusco and Kalil couldn’t seem to get things on track.  But they weren’t the only ones struggling to contain pressure from the Packers.

"“As an offense and line we just weren’t able to pick [the blitz] up the best we could,” right guard Mike Harris said after the game. “We’ve got to do better and give Teddy more time.”"

Giving Teddy Bridgewater more time is a great idea. So is being able to create holes for running back Adrian Peterson. And even though the offensive line struggled during the game, head coach Mike Zimmer isn’t ready to put the entire blame on the blocking.

"“It wasn’t all the offensive line,” Zimmer said Monday. “There were times Teddy didn’t get the ball out on time. There were times we didn’t block them. Guys missed blocks and their defensive front did a good job. It’s really not about biding time, it’s about getting the ball out to the right places. I think when you get in those situations where you’re first-and-20 and second-and-18, these guys can lay their ears back on you pretty good. That’s a part of our issue there.”"

Pass protection and creating holes will have to be a priority for the Minnesota Vikings moving forward. With tough NFC games against the Falcons, Seahawks, and Cardinals coming up, there isn’t much time to correct these errors. All three will present a very tough test for the team, and we will see how much better the offensive line plays on Sunday against Atlanta in just five days.