Five days before the Vikings and Giants go to battle inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Super Wild Card Weekend and it’s still not entirely clear who will be starting on Minnesota’s offensive line.
The big questions are at center and right tackle. Garrett Bradbury’s back injury has kept him out the last five games and his status for Sunday remains unclear. It appears that Oli Udoh is the frontrunner to start at right tackle, though the Vikings on Wednesday activated Blake Brandel from injured reserve.
“It’s not defined in terms of who’s going to be there Sunday,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said when asked about the O-line on Wednesday. “You’re not sure yet because it’s only Wednesday. It’ll be important to get out there the next couple days and be able to practice hard and get some good, quality reps with the group together.”
Cousins said the best part of having Udoh at right tackle in place of Brian O’Neill is Udoh’s experience. Udoh started 16 games last season and has received encouraging grades since taking over after O’Neill was injured early in Minnesota’s Week 17 loss to the Packers.
Udoh played 32 pass-blocking snaps in the Packer game and allowed just one pressure. He followed that up against a worse Chicago team in Week 18 with just one pressure allowed on 35 pass-blocking snaps.
If Bradbury misses the game, the starting center job will be in the hands of Chris Reed, who had never taken a snap at center in the NFL until he came in as the emergency replacement when backup center Austin Schlottmann suffered a broken leg against the Packers on New Year’s Day.
“Next guy up mentality,” said running back Dalvin Cook. “I believe in those guys, each and every one of them. You never know what a guy’s going to do until it’s time to go to war. We’re going to see on Sunday when it’s time to go to war.”
Success on the offensive line will be critical on Sunday. The Giants boast arguably the best 1-2 punch on the interior defensive line with Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, who combined for 12 pressures and two sacks on Cousins in Week 16.
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