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Minnesota Vikings shine in Week 1, OL highlighted in offensive grades from Pro Football Focus

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated Sep 9, 2024 3:20 PM ET

Week one is always a tough game to judge, especially because teams don't play their starters much in the preseason. It's become somewhat of a preseason game in its own right. The Minnesota Vikings didn't look very rusty on Sunday, as they walloped the New York Giants by a score of 28-6.

The most impressive thing that the Vikings had on Sunday was chemistry on offense. Led by new quarterback Sam Darnold, the unit looked like a well-oiled machine putting up three touchdowns, including a 99-yard drive that ended with a touchdown to Justin Jefferson.

Offensive line highlights PFF grades

The Pro Football Focus grades are in for the Vikings and they reflect them pretty well. There were some warts overall, including Ed Ingram's somewhat confusing 9.3 pass-blocking grade, but the top five graded players had three offensive linemen.

LG Blake Brandel: 91.2
RB Aaron Jones: 90.9
QB Sam Darnold: 88.1
RT Brian O'Neill: 85.9
LT Christian Darrisaw: 79.4

Impressive numbers for the Vikings, especially on the offensive line. They showed some warts early on by allowing Dexter Lawrence to sack Darnold on the second play of the game, but they shifted their approach quickly and minimized his impact, which was one of the major keys to the game.

The tackles having big games was also really important, as the Giants have two stud pass rushers in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Both players were held without a sack on Sunday.

Things weren't perfect for the Vikings on Sunday, but it gives them something to build upon.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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