Top Vikings Rookie Comes Down to Earth with Disappointing Week 2 Showing

The Minnesota Vikings Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears had everyone riding high but Week 2 was a stiff dose of reality. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the rest of the Vikings were humbled in the 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, but few crashed harder than rookie offensive guard Donovan Jackson.

Jackson was one of the bright spots for the Vikings in Week 1, looking like the type of guard fans have been begging for over the past decade. But the Falcons’ pass-rush made him look like a rookie and an important teaching point as he navigates life in the NFL.

Donovan Jackson Must Bounce Back After Rough Night in Vikings’ Loss to Falcons

Jackson was one of the biggest disappointments for the Vikings in the trenches on Sunday night. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson had an overall grade of 44.4 and a run-blocking grade of 47.2. But his biggest drop off came in pass protection as he allowed for pressures and a sack on 30 pass-blocking snaps.

That regression was startling considering how good the rookie was against the Bears. Jackson’s 74.3 overall grade was the highest among all rookie offensive linemen in Week 1 and his 88.1 pass-blocking grade was tied with Mekhi Becton for the highest among guards and the fourth-highest among all offensive linemen.

With no pressures allowed on 25 pass-blocking snaps, it felt like Vikings fans had a reason to be excited about the Ohio State product. Instead, he was part of a troubling effort along the offensive line.

Justin Skule continued to be a swinging gate in place of Christian Darrisaw allowing three pressures and a sack on 21 pass-blocking snaps before suffering a concussion. Jackson also had problems to his right as Ryan Kelly suffered a concussion, throwing Michael Jurgens into his NFL debut.

While Darrisaw could return as soon as next week as he recovers from a torn ACL and MCL suffered last October, Kelly availability is a problem as it’s his third documented concussion since the start of the 2023 season and fourth overall. If Jurgens, who allowed a pressure on 16 pass-blocking snaps on Sunday, has to start, it could make life difficult for Jackson, who is still trying to navigate the ups and downs of his rookie season.

There’s still reason to be bullish on Jackson and he wasn’t the only Viking to have a bad game. Minnesota will also get an easier matchup in Week 3 as the Cincinnati Bengals have just three sacks and have the NFL’s sixth-lowest pressure rate (10.9%) after two games. Still, Jackson will have to be part of the solution after crashing back to earth against the Falcons.

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