Which Minnesota Vikings were the biggest cause for concern during their season-opening loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their 2023 season with a heartbreaking loss at home to Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the boxscores determined outcomes, the Vikings would have walked away with a pretty lopsided victory at U.S. Bank Stadium. Instead, mishaps led to quite a shocking defeat before they head to Philadelphia for a difficult Week 2 road test.
It is unfair to place blame on any one player or coach for the team's loss, but there were plenty of parties that need to improve if Minnesota wants to win important games this season. These next four Vikings, in particular, need to step up after Sunday's disaster.
Viking No. 1
Ed Ingram - RG
Year after year, the Vikings have struggled with protecting Kirk Cousins, which exposes a lot of his flaws. On Sunday, sophomore guard Ed Ingram was the weak link on the offensive line throughout the day, and he kept Cousins in panic mode with pressure constantly in his face.
Ingram was a pretty high-value asset for the Vikings as they selected him with a second-round pick, and he has not even come close to returning that value on the field. He has been one of the worst pass protectors in football since he stepped in, and Sunday was no different.
One major issue with Ingram has been his spatial awareness. During his rookie season, Ingram was susceptible to stepping into Cousins' space and tripping him up, or forcing him into miscues. On Sunday afternoon, Ingram took it a step further by swinging his arm into Kirk's path and punching the ball loose for a crucial second quarter fumble that killed their first promising drive of the season.
The online discussions of Dalton Risner have already picked back up. If Ingram does not improve drastically over the next few weeks, it may be too late to salvage the offensive line, and, thus, the season.