Vikings Offensive Line Must Improve to Repair Teddy Bridgewater, Offense

If the last two weeks proved anything about the Minnesota Vikings, it's that the man playing quarterback really doesn't matter behind one of the NFL's worst offensive lines. 

Neither Christian Ponder, a fourth-year veteran holding on to dear life in the NFL, nor Teddy Bridgewater, a budding rookie quarterback with what appears to be a bright future, could survive or thrive behind the Vikings' leaky offensive line in consecutive weeks. 

Throw Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, Tommy Kramer, Randall Cunningham, Daunte Culpepper and Brett Favre on the list of names that would have also buckled under the same pressurized conditions. 

Against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5, Ponder took six sacks and suffered through 16 quarterback hits. The Vikings scored 10 points and lost. On Sunday, Bridgewater was assaulted for eight sacks and 12 hits against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings scored three points and lost. 

Combined tallies: 14 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, 13 points and two ugly losses.  

"We didn't protect the quarterback, we didn't block guys," head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Sunday. "Until we figure out that this game is about blocking and tackling, doing your job, we're going to have more results like this."

Asked what was the most concerning part of the protection breakdowns against the Lions, Zimmer responded, "They kicked our butt." 

Many factors go into limiting sacks and hits on a quarterback in a given game. Receivers and tight ends must get open. Running backs and tight ends are required to help against the blitz. Quarterbacks need to change protections and maneuver in the pocket. 

But there's nothing more important than simply winning up front, and the Vikings offensive line hasn't consistently won enough—in terms of this season as a whole and, in particular, the last two games. 

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Vikings rank 31st in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency through the first six weeks. The offensive line has allowed 77 pressures over 240 passing plays (tied for the most), and only the Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed more sacks (27) than Minnesota's 22. The offense has given up a sack on 9.8 percent of passing plays, which is also just slightly better than Jacksonville's 10.9. 

The last two weeks have been especially dreadful. 

In Green Bay, the Vikings offensive line was credited with 22 pressures allowed, the most from an offense in Week 5. Against Detroit, Minnesota allowed 19, the second highest total of Week 6—giving the Vikings a league-high 43 over the last two games. 

Neither quarterback fared well against the unrelenting pressure. 

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Ponder, the team's third-string quarterback coming to the season, completed just 8 of 19 passes for 61 yards and an interception over 27 plays under pressure against the Packers. Bridgewater was only marginally better, connecting on 7 of 14 attempts for 70 yards during 24 pressured dropbacks Sunday.

Together, the two have posted a passer rating of 43.9 against pressure since Week 5.  

Many are to blame for the dumpster fire that has become the Vikings passing game. 

Minnesota's two offensive tackles—Matt Kalil on the left and Phil Loadholt on the right—have combined to allow 10 sacks and 46 pressures, which both lead the NFL in terms of tackle duos. Kalil has been especially poor, as is his seven sacks and 26 pressures allowed are both the most from an offensive lineman in the league this season. 

	Sacks	QB Hits	Hurries	Total Disruptions
M. Kalil	7*	3	16*	26*
P. Loadholt	3	2	15	20
TOTALS	10*	5	31*	46*

Rock bottom might have been Sunday for Kalil, who allowed four sacks and seven total pressures—many from Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah. At some point, the Vikings may have consider to a change at left tackle. 

Down the field, receivers are clearly struggling to get open. Over the last two weeks, Ponder and Bridgewater completed 24 of 49 targeted passes (48.9 percent) to receivers for just 217 yards (4.4 yards per attempt). Cordarrelle Patterson has just four catches for 23 yards, while Greg Jennings totaled just 64 total yards. No receiver has a catch over 20 yards since Week 4. 

Patterson is a uniquely gifted athlete. Jennings has long been showered with praise for his route-running ability. Jarius Wright has speed to burn. The three would be expected to contribute much more than 16 catches for 131 yards and zero big plays over any two-week span.

It certainly doesn't help that Vikings running backs have averaged just 3.7 yards per carry since kickoff with Green Bay. Minnesota has essentially been one-dimensional on offense for the last 120 minutes of game play. 

The quarterbacks are also to blame.

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Ponder played like the fringe-roster quarterback he is in Green Bay, while Bridgewater was swallowed whole in his second career start against one of the NFL's best defenses. The two combined for five turnovers and three scoring drives over 28 total opportunities. 

In fact, the Vikings have more sacks allowed (14) than points scored (13) the last two weeks. 

"I have to do a better job of just being quicker in my decision-making, and getting the football out of my hands faster," Bridgewater told reporters Sunday. 

But even when Bridgewater did not face pressure against the Lions, he still averaged only 5.1 yards per attempt and threw all three of his interceptions. The cumulative effect of pressure can rattle a quarterback even when the pass rush doesn't get home.

The bottom line is that the Vikings could put a hybrid of Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers behind the team's struggling offensive line and the results wouldn't be drastically different. 

Football is still a game won and lost up front. Quarterbacks can compensate for poor play from the offensive line, but only to a point.

The Vikings—in consecutive games, and for most of this season—have breached that breaking point. 

Until the Minnesota offensive line starts playing better—and there's no indication that improvement is coming—it won't matter if the Vikings have Ponder, Bridgewater or any other quarterback under center. As Zimmer said, the results will remain the same. 

Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2