O’Connell, Vikings OL In Survival Mode Against Nasty Myles Garrett

It’s normally all smiles for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell as he attempts to build his team up and prepare for the next game. But this time it’s not about building up quarterback Carson Wentz and letting him know that he’s good enough to lead the Vikings to a victory over the Cleveland Browns (1-3).

Somehow O’Connell has to piece together an offensive line that has been torn apart in the first four weeks of the season. The starting unit is supposed to include LT Christian Darrisaw, LG Donovan Jackson, C Ryan Kelly, RG Will Fries and RT Brian O’Neill.

When the Vikings take the field in Part 2 of their European Adventure at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London against the Browns, Jackson, Kelly and O’Neill won’t be in the lineup. Instead, Blake Brandel will start at left guard, Michael Jurgens will start at center and Walter Rouse will fill in at right tackle.

“You’re asking guys to step in there,” O’Connell said. “You’re asking guys to play against some premier players and try to use the (original) game plan as much as we can.”

The loss of O’Neill is huge, but the Vikings got good news about his knee injury. There are no torn ligaments and his MRI revealed that he has a sprained medial collateral ligament. The likelihood is that he will be out for the Browns game but could have a chance to play in Week 7 against the Eagles or Week 8 against the Chargers.

It is up to O’Connell and his coaching staff – primarily offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and offensive line coach Chris Kuper – to figure out a scheme that allows the offense to be productive against the Browns.

This is vital because the Browns have the most devastating defensive player in the league in Myles Garrett. He is capable of wrecking any offense. Garrett had 14.0 sacks last year and 4.0 sacks and 8 tackles for loss though Cleveland’s first four games. More than the numbers, Garrett plays with a nasty mean streak for 60 minutes, and he should sense blood in the water here.

He is listed as the Browns right defensive end, but don’t expect him to stay in that spot. Darrisaw is one of the few left tackles in the NFL capable of holding his own against Garrett, but he regularly moves around and finds a soft spot to launch his pass rush. Expect him to pick on Rouse and Jurgens throughout the game.

The Vikings can certainly win a game because their defense forces the action. They already did that against the Bengals in Week Three. The Browns have a muddy offense with old-timer Joe Flacco and possibly rookie Dillon Gabriel manning the quarterback position, and the Vikings need to hold either signal caller in check. This should be a relatively simple task for defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Vikings coaches must protect Wentz in Week 5

The Vikings coaching staff needs both Wentz and running back Jordan Mason to survive and thrive in this game. The brain trust has to figure out a way to neutralize Garrett, who is certainly licking his chops at the idea of going up against the beleaguered Minnesota offensive line. The Pittsburgh Steelers sacked Wentz 6 times and hit him 14 times in last Sunday’s game at Croke Park in Dublin.

Wentz is filling in for QB J.J. McCarthy as he recovers from a high ankle sprain. The last thing that O’Connell wants to see is a second quarterback forced to the sidelines by injury in the first half of the season.

The Vikings will have their much-needed bye after their jet-lagged bodies fly back to Minneapolis after Sunday’s game. O’Connell is convinced his team will never quit even though the schedule turns brutal upon their return with games against the Eagles, Chargers, Lions and Ravens.

His defense of his players after their loss to the Steelers indicates that he will always stand up for them. “You’re just never going to see this team quit,” O’Connell said. “They’re going to play to the end against a very good team.”

Now they will face a battering ram of a pass rusher in Garrett and it is about survival mode for a backup quarterback and the Vikings’ offensive game plan.