08-14-2017, 11:25 AM
We all know that preseason results mean nothing. We all know that most of the things that happen with the first-team offense and first-team defense mean nothing. But every year, we make all sorts of judgements about the upcoming year based on a handful of snaps with starters going half speed.
There is no better example of how meaningless the preseason is to starters than Sam Bradford’s first four games. He played zero snaps in preseason with the Vikings, but beat the Green Bay Packers on national TV in his debut.
So why would we make judgements about the Vikings’ offensive line based on a few series’ against the Buffalo Bills?
Sure, the trauma of watching Bradford get slammed to the ground over and over last season is still lingering. And if one of the starting O-linemen cuts himself shaving, it acts as a reminder that the Vikings lost every starter at one point or another in 2016 – including both tackles going down for the year by Week 3.
But Mike Remmers’ whiff against the Bills shouldn’t be seen as a red flashing sign that the Vikings’ season will be undone by poor blocking.
When we pull back to the 20,000-foot view, it’s easy to see how much the offensive line has been improved – even from the non-injured 2016 version.
Riley Reiff hasn’t practiced much yet as a Viking and didn’t play on Thursday night, but the former Detroit Lion has 27 days to get healthy. When he does, Reiff will look like Orlando Pace compared to what the Vikings ran out last season. He isn’t a dominant pass protector, but he also won’t be giving away free shots to every edge rusher. Powerful defensive ends can drive Reiff back into the quarterback, but they won’t fly around him without being touched.
In the run game, Reiff will be a massive upgrade. While it was obvious that TJ Clemmings couldn’t protect against the pass, the part about his struggles was that went less noticed was ranking among the worst run blockers in the NFL, too. Reiff, on the other hand, has rated above average in run blocking by Pro Football Focus standards.
If the Vikings had only added Reiff, they’d be substantially better...
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/0...ason-game/
There is no better example of how meaningless the preseason is to starters than Sam Bradford’s first four games. He played zero snaps in preseason with the Vikings, but beat the Green Bay Packers on national TV in his debut.
So why would we make judgements about the Vikings’ offensive line based on a few series’ against the Buffalo Bills?
Sure, the trauma of watching Bradford get slammed to the ground over and over last season is still lingering. And if one of the starting O-linemen cuts himself shaving, it acts as a reminder that the Vikings lost every starter at one point or another in 2016 – including both tackles going down for the year by Week 3.
But Mike Remmers’ whiff against the Bills shouldn’t be seen as a red flashing sign that the Vikings’ season will be undone by poor blocking.
When we pull back to the 20,000-foot view, it’s easy to see how much the offensive line has been improved – even from the non-injured 2016 version.
Riley Reiff hasn’t practiced much yet as a Viking and didn’t play on Thursday night, but the former Detroit Lion has 27 days to get healthy. When he does, Reiff will look like Orlando Pace compared to what the Vikings ran out last season. He isn’t a dominant pass protector, but he also won’t be giving away free shots to every edge rusher. Powerful defensive ends can drive Reiff back into the quarterback, but they won’t fly around him without being touched.
In the run game, Reiff will be a massive upgrade. While it was obvious that TJ Clemmings couldn’t protect against the pass, the part about his struggles was that went less noticed was ranking among the worst run blockers in the NFL, too. Reiff, on the other hand, has rated above average in run blocking by Pro Football Focus standards.
If the Vikings had only added Reiff, they’d be substantially better...
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/0...ason-game/
