The Vikings got Ezra Cleveland back from injury for the Jaguars game.
So did the Minnesota offensive line go back to how it was during the three-game win streak? Definitely not.
The Vikings conceded a lot of pressure to a Jaguars defensive front that is not known for getting to the quarterback. Another disappointing development: Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
Of course, Minnesota still won the game vs. Jacksonville. But there were some mistakes from the offensive line, particularly at left guard.
Dakota Dozier earned a PFF rating of 30.6 for the game, the lowest score of any Vikings player. Dozier was a useful reserve last season and he earned solid playing time after Josh Klein went down, but he has not been a starting-caliber left guard this year.
Dozier’s overall PFF grade for 2020 is 49.7. That is down from his grade of 51.4 in 2019. He has also allowed three sacks in 2020. He allowed two in 2019, but to be fair, Dozier only started four games for the team last season and he has started 12 already this year.
But there is good news for Minnesota. The Vikings have a guard who has played pretty well this season: Brett Jones.
Jones filled in for the injured Cleveland at right guard against Dallas and Carolina. Jones played well during those games, giving up just one sack and earning a PFF overall grade of 77.6. Sure, one sack in two games isn’t great, but the offensive line looked better those games than the win vs. the Jaguars.
Dozier has been an important player for the Vikings. Without him stepping up in 2019, the offensive line might have been too leaky in pass protection for the Vikings to have a chance at the playoffs.
However, with other offensive linemen progressing and Cleveland back, I think playing the five best linemen means moving on from Dozier as a starter. The more Dozier struggles, the harder it will be for the Vikings to avoid putting Jones in that spot.