KOC Reveals Why Ed Ingram was a Healthy Scratch for Vikings vs Cardinals
Well, it wasn’t easy but the Minnesota Vikings are 10-2, after a crazy 23-22 comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals in week 13. After the victory, the Vikings are essentially a lock (>99% chance) to make the NFL playoffs.
Not only have they unofficially claimed their postseason spot in the seven-team NFC field, come January, but the Vikings remain just one game behind the Detroit Lions, stand atop both the North division, and the National Football Conference, with five games left to play.
Why was Ed Ingram a healthy scratch vs the Arizona Cardinals?
So all is good in Eagan, this week. But there was one peculiar pregame move from week 13 that deserved addressing, after Minnesota’s 10th win of the 2024 season. Why was left guard Ed Ingram, who had started 30-straight games leading up to his recent benching, a healthy inactive? Well, Kevin O’Connell was asked just that by media members, during his postgame press conference.
The head coach tried to make it very clear that Ingram’s healthy scratch had nothing to do with performance. Instead, KOC blamed Ed Ingrams inactive status on injury concerns at left tackle, where recently acquired Cam Robinson was dealing with an injury that had the Vikings worried he wouldn’t make it through Sunday’s contest vs the Cards.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell explains why Ed Ingram was a healthy scratch vs the Cardinals in week 13: pic.twitter.com/xh8BYvBLDb
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 2, 2024
“Cam Robinson did a hell of a job working through that foot [injury]. He was going to give it a go, but we wanted to make sure. We felt pretty stressed a little bit, in Chicago, only having one tackle up for the game, beyond Cam. So we wanted to get Rouse up. With that, we needed Dan Feeney, because he is one of our backup centers. So really, Jurgens and Ingram, both those guys. It was just the necessity of the numbers for the day. I wouldn’t read anything into it. Ed’s been doing a great job. I would anticipate, as we get healthy, and we can stack a full week for Cam together, I would anticipate Ed being back up. [His inactive status had] absolutely nothing to do with anything larger picture or anything like that.”
Kevin O’Connell postgame vs Cardinals on why (G) Ed Ingram was a healthy scratch
When Ed Ingram was a starter for the Minnesota Vikings, he was far and away the worst. The eye test showed it. His 54.0 PFF grade showed it. It didn’t take a football genius to see that his 5 sacks, 3 hits and 24 total pressures allowed were a huge problem for the Vikings’ offense.
Minnesota Vikings say one thing, but may do another this offseason
But KOC says not to worry about any of that. Yes, he was benched for all of those reasons. Whether you want to believe the smooth talking head coach or not, he says Ingram was inactive today because of Cam Robinson’s foot injury, and the possibility he might not make it through the game.
That made Ed Ingram, a guard, more expendable than other backup offensive linemen on roster, at positions like center and tackle. Should we believe O’Connell? For now, that is an individual decision. But time usually tells the real story, eventually.
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Crazy Comeback Win vs Cardinals
Ed Ingram was a 2022 2nd round draft pick. The 25-year-old has started 41 of the 43 games he has played as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. His rookie contract has one year remaining on it, after this season. But the Vikings could cut him for pretty much nothing, if the two sides decide a fresh start is best.
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