5 most disappointing Vikings in the blowout loss to the Packers in Week 17

Chris Reed – C

We’ve got to put a disclaimer out on this one first. What Chris Reed was asked to do, and actually succeed in doing, was an extremely tall task.

Austin Schlottman went down with a leg injury early in the game against the Packers, and Reed was asked to play a position he’s never actually played before in an NFL game, and do it in a very hostile and noisy environment.

It wasn’t surprising to see Reed struggle with the snap count. He snapped the ball late, he snapped the ball early, and sometimes, he didn’t snap it at all.

The entire Vikings’ offense was out of whack for about a quarter and a half until Reed finally settled in. By that point, it was far too late, and the game was out of hand in another embarrassing blowout loss.

While the task was tough for Reed to handle, it wasn’t impossible. The guy had to get some snaps in practice this week and had to know the snap counts and cadences. He should’ve been better prepared, and that is on him.

The silver lining is that things eventually got better, and if he has to start another game or, possibly, a playoff game, he’ll get the reps necessary to ensure he’s ready to roll.