The Minnesota Vikings said they could fix Sam Darnold , and they have done it to a certain degree so far this season. Through three weeks, the bridge quarterback is eighth in EPA/play, seventh in completion percentage over expected, and 13th in success rate. So stopping or limiting Darnold becomes a priority for Jeff Hafley and the Green Bay Packers defense on Sunday. To do that, there’s not an easier way than applying pressure from the middle.
Vikings’ weakness
The weakest link of the Vikings offense is clearly the interior of the offensive line. So far, the starting five allowed 33 pressures — and 20 of them have been allowed by right guard Ed Ingram and center Garrett Bradbury, ten by each. Ingram and Bradbury allowed three of the five sacks the line was credited for. Three pressures per game per player is certainly suboptimal, even if head coach Kevin O’Connell does a good job of protecting them.
Sam Darnold has a 2.98 average of time to throw, but this is the issue with interior pressure. Even if the quarterback is throwing the ball quickly after the snap, interior rush can still affect the process.