The Minnesota Vikings are undefeated and coming off an early bye week. Through five games, this team doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. Even their depth at most positions is something Vikings fans haven’t seen in years, maybe decades.
That can’t be said at every position, though. In fact there is one glowing weakness on the interior offensive line. You all know the name. Right guard Ed Ingram has been riding the struggle bus all season, and that was the case again on Sunday in London.
Ed Ingram on the Minnesota Vikings hot seat?
Ingram is in his third year and he has started all 35 of the NFL games he has played in. Many fans and prominent media members suspected Dalton Risner to take Ingram’s place, when he was re-signed as a free agent during training camp. But then, Risner hurt his back and was placed on IR , before the season started.
Now that Risner’s 21-day practice window has been opened, all eyes are on Ingram and whether or not the Minnesota Vikings will make the change. According to Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) , that change could be sooner, rather than later.
“I got a little bit of a vibe the way [Dalton Risner] talked the other day, and I don’t know this for sure, but I got a little bit of a vibe of like, yeah, I’m expecting to be out there. I think if Ed Ingram struggles again, I don’t think the switch could be very far away at right guard… I think the leash is not terribly long for anything.”
Ben Goessling ( Star Tribune via Access Vikings )
It sounds like Ingram will start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday , but it sounds like his leash will be extremely short. The Minnesota Vikings insider believes that one more week riding the struggle could mean a change at right guard.
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Goessling also got the vibe, while interviewing Risner during a media scrum Monday, that the 29-year-old former Denver Bronco is expecting to play. What does that mean? We don’t know, but it certainly adds to the intrigue.
Why replace Ingram with Dalton Risner?
This may seem like a rhetorical question at this point now, but Ingram has consistently been one of the worst guards in the NFL. After week five, Ingram ranked near the bottom in the NFL in nearly every statistical metric for guards.
At this point, it seems like only a matter of time before Ingram is replaced. He is who he is at this point of his career, and being a second-round draft pick in 2022, his skill isn’t cutting it anymore. Especially, in pass protection.
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The only thing Ingram has going for him is continuity, and Dalton Risner’s inability to run block. If that wasn’t reality, it’s very possible Ingram would never see the field. But, Risner is terrible at blocking for running backs… but not as bad as Ingram is blocking for quarterbacks (29.4). Being 5-0 helps too.
“I feel like competition is always healthy, it pushes everybody to go harder, so you don’t get complacent and get comfortable and I kinda like that.”
Minnesota Vikings’ right guard Ed Ingram (Vikings.com)
Will head coach Kevin O’Connell make a move? We’ll find out sooner rather than later, but it does sound like Ingram is embracing that right guard competition battle.
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