4 Vikings who should immediately be promoted
By Adam Carlson
Blake Brandel, offensive lineman/tight end
Against the Steelers, the Minnesota Vikings got a little creative with their blocking. Without blocking specialist and tight end Ben Ellefson available, they looked to offensive lineman Blake Brandel to take the field as a sixth lineman and act as a tight end.
The way Minnesota ran the ball with Brandel in the lineup was a game-changer. Having him on the line as well as having left guard Ezra Cleveland pulling for blocks gave Dalvin Cook some massive holes in the Vikings run game.
Dalvin Cook had a monster game against Pittsburgh and using this formation with another big guy to block can only help a team that needs to get the most out of their running backs and even when protecting Kirk Cousins.
Plus, wouldn’t it be absolutely amazing to see six-foot-seven and 307 pounds of Blake Brandel sneak off a block to catch a pass in short-yardage situations for a first down or even a touchdown? That would be an amazing big man moment.