4 most disappointing Vikings in the win over the Saints in Week 4
By Nik Edlund
Brian O’Neill – RT
Brian O’Neill is a name that rarely makes the disappointing list. The dude is just so good and quietly has solid season after solid season. He was grading out as the Vikings’ best offensive lineman through the first three games before struggling against the Saints.
New Orleans, to their credit, have some good pass rushers. Cam Jordan is one of the best in the game, and Marcus Davenport is also a beast.
O’Neill was consistently beaten in one-on-ones, as his man was the one getting to Kirk Cousins, putting him on the ground or at least causing him to throw the ball sooner than intended.
O’Neill also drew some flags, which was uncharacteristic of the stalwart right tackle. Who knows the reason why O’Neill struggled so badly against the Saints? Maybe they found something in studying him on film, maybe it was the long trip across the sea, or maybe he just had an off day?
Whatever the reason, this subpar performance by O’Neill is likely an outlier and something that we aren’t going to consistently be seeing moving forward.