Christian Darrisaw’s Return Gave the Vikings Confidence They Were Missing

Quantifying an offensive lineman’s importance can be tough. Even though not every play requires production from every position, the other players on the field log stats in the final box score. Quarterbacks either throw the ball to their receivers or tight ends or hand off to their running backs. The frequency of each of these events is concrete and easily understood.

So when a receiver like Justin Jefferson catches only seven passes for 125 yards in two games, and J.J. McCarthy is throwing three interceptions and fumbling the ball three more times, it’s easy to pin the blame on the quarterback.

When it appears that the task at hand is too tall for said quarterback, blame can also shift to the head coach and/or playcaller. Run the ball and lean on the ground game. If that doesn’t work, go to the “quick game” to give the quarterback easy passes.

These concepts can only go so far, though. The quarterback must have adequate time to throw, and the running backs must have holes to run through. Every team needs a quality offensive line, especially one with a quarterback making his first two NFL starts.

So it may not be a surprise that the Minnesota Vikings’ offense had its most productive day this year in Christian Darrisaw’s debut. With their star left tackle playing for the first time since tearing his ACL and MCL last October, the Vikings accumulated 352 total yards of offense in a 48-10 thrashing.

Carson Wentz started in place of McCarthy and appeared much more poised than the second-year quarterback. Still, that may have had as much to do with Darrisaw protecting his blind side as it did the quarterback’s experience. Per PFF, in 21 pass blocks, Darrisaw allowed only one pressure and zero sacks.

Wentz may have also benefited from Minnesota’s run game. Led by Jordan Mason, the Vikings ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns. According to Next Gen Stats, Mason ran 10 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns running to the left side of the offensive line, citing Darrisaw’s return to the lineup.

By the end of the day, Wentz was 14 of 20 passing for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Many speculated that the Vikings had to move forward with Wentz to take advantage of a Super Bowl-ready roster.

But was Wentz’s presence and composure a product of his experience? Or were they products of Darrisaw, who may have given Kevin O’Connell a different level of confidence? Darrisaw’s inclusion may have given O’Connell the chance to lean into the run in ways that he rarely has in four seasons with the Vikings. That helps take pressure off the pass game.

“I’m sure you guys felt a chill beneath your feet when I think at one point, I called three or four runs in a row,” O’Connell joked when talking to reporters on Wednesday.

Darrisaw played seven games before his injury in 2024. When he was on the field, Minnesota gained 8.5 yards per pass attempt and faced a pressure rate of 35.7%. After the Vikings lost him for the season, they averaged 7.7 yards per pass attempt with a 41.1% pressure rate, per Next Gen Stats.

That’s good news for the Vikings as they prepare to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Darrisaw won’t be facing T.J. Watt one-on-one often because Watt has lined up primarily on the offensive line’s right side on 159 of 169 snaps. Still, Minnesota could take advantage of this.

Through three games, opponents have often run away from Watt with success. They have run 48 times for 229 yards (4.7 yards per carry) to the offensive left side. Teams have run 24 times for 82 yards (3.4 yards per carry) when running at Watt.

So not only would the Vikings be running away from Pittsburgh’s best defender, but they’d also be running behind perhaps their most valuable offensive lineman. It’s probably no surprise that Minnesota’s first play from scrimmage against the Cincinnati Bengals went behind Darrisaw, and it probably also shouldn’t be a surprise that it went for 10 yards.

The Steelers are giving up 5.9 yards per play, which is the second-highest among teams Minnesota has faced this year. If the running game can get going, that should open up their offense. With Darrisaw manning Wentz’s blind side, the Vikings can allocate running back or tight end help to help neutralize Watt.

No one appreciates that more than O’Connell, who gave Darrisaw a game ball after Sunday’s win. The coach told reporters that seeing Darrisaw’s return last Sunday helped fill the depth chart and instilled confidence in everyone around him.

“I told him out on the field, if there's ever a question of what a franchise left tackle means to an organization, I think we felt it today,” O’Connell said after the win. “I think we felt it throughout the week. I think the confidence level that his teammates had, our quarterback had, was felt.”

For right now, that quarterback is Wentz. Perhaps when McCarthy returns, he’ll find the confidence he didn’t have in his first two games because Darrisaw is back.

But no matter who is starting at quarterback, O’Connell has confidence calling the plays again. Perhaps that starts with Darrisaw. If those two guys have confidence, how could anyone under center not be poised and composed?