Christian Darrisaw’s injury news is a nightmare

Offensive tackle is one of the most important positions in football. Great pass rushers who can destroy plays against sub-par tackles drive many of the best defenses (see Super Bowl 55). The Minnesota Vikings have had plenty of roster holes to work around in recent seasons. However, since Christian Darrisaw arrived in 2021, offensive tackle wasn’t one of them. Darrisaw mates with Brian O’Neill to form one of the best duos in the competition.

Darrisaw was the jewel of Rick Spielman’s final draft class with the team. Throughout his career, he has only allowed a 4.5% pressure rate while often drawing the most difficult schematic assignments. Whether you get PFF grades or take the eye test, Darrisaw is comfortably one of the five best left tackles in football. Sometimes he seems like the best in the business. He is a cornerstone of the roster and has played a big role in Minnesota’s offensive success so far in the season.

However, after his injury Thursday night will be the Vikings without him for the rest of the season. Losing a starter is always difficult, but losing someone of Darrisaw’s caliber creates a significant loss of talent at the position.

If the Vikings don’t make a major move, they’ll likely start David Quessenberry at left tackle.

“I prepare like I’m going to start every game,” Quessenbery said.

However, there is no clarity yet on how the team will replace Darrisaw.

Other options include kicking the left guard Blake Brandel to unpack, where he spent some time earlier in his career, and insert Dalton Risner at left guard. They could also play Risner at left tackle, where he has some college experience.

“Whatever is asked of me,” Brandel said when asked if the Vikings could move him to left tackle. “I will.”

Regardless of their direction, no one will have the impact of a healthy Darrisaw.

“He’s obviously one of our attacking pillars that we’ve leaned on a lot.” Kevin O’Connell said of the 25-year-old.

When Darrisaw is active, he not only maintains his position, but also provides additional resources to the rest of the offensive line. The Vikings can leave a shutdown tackle like Darrisaw on an island and slide away from him to allow double teams or chip help elsewhere along the front.

“We’re all going to have to do a little bit more,” O’Connell said of Darrisaw’s absence.

Darrisaw delivers incredible physical performances every game. However, his contributions often go unnoticed, especially from standard broadcast angles. Focusing on his reps on the All-22 is absolute cinema. Darrisaw’s incredible core strength allows him to gain reputation even if his matchup may give him an advantage. When you look at his “snatch” technique, it’s as if the matador is just a bull with a red flag.

The Vikings will also miss him in the run game. Darrisaw finishes blocks ruthlessly and is elite at the point of attack. He has the athleticism and football talent to move into space to track down and neutralize potential tacklers. Especially this season, the double teams he combined with Brandel in the run game were artful.

Quessenbery can be solid as a run blocker, and we’ve seen that already this season. Yet from an athletic standpoint, what Darrisaw does as a pass blocker simply cannot be taught.

In addition to his physical acumen, his fellow O-linemen spoke highly of the way Darrisaw approaches the game and prepares.

“He can understand it at a high level,” the right guard said Ed Ingram of Darrisaw’s ability to dissect his opponent’s film. “His level of consciousness is off the charts.”

“He focuses on the little things, one day at a time,” Brandel said when asked what he learned from Darrisaw. “His approach, his preparation, I took a lot from that.”

Several offensive linemen who know the type of person Darrisaw emphasize their certainty that “CD” will come back even stronger from this injury.

In the meantime, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, head coach Kevin O’Connell and the rest of the offensive staff will have to find a way to shore up their support. Sam Darnold‘s blindside in Darrisaw’s absence. Whether that’s chip help from a tight end or a running back on that side or more six- and seven-man protection, something will have to change. The offense will be forced to lean more on O’Neill to stay one-on-one in pass protection to protect Ingram and Garrett Bradbury isolated against strong interior rushers.

Perhaps this will force O’Connell’s hand into quicker route concepts to get the ball out quicker. While the O-line has given up a fair amount of pressure, the Vikings have taken advantage of their two books-end tackles by calling for an exorbitant amount long developing transient concepts. O’Connell will have to pick his spots with the deep shots up forward, and whoever they give the reins to at left tackle will have some big shoes to fill.