Minnesota Vikings

Vikings Snap Counts: Rookie O'Neill sharp in first start

Published Oct. 16, 2018 12:29 p.m. ET

Former second-round pick Brian O'Neill's ascent was supposed to be a slow burn.

An NFL.com draft analyst graded O'Neill as a candidate to start eventually, but noted that he would need to get stronger and larger in order to do so.

Just six games into his rookie season, the Minnesota Vikings are already throwing O'Neill into the fire.

O'Neill started at right tackle with Rashod Hill filling in on the left side for the injured Riley Reiff during the Vikings' 27-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The rookie was on the field for all 71 of the Vikings' snaps on offense Sunday, and acquitted himself well, earning a grade of 73.0 from Pro Football Focus, which trailed only star receiver Adam Thielen for the team lead.

Per STATS, the rookie has yet to allow a sack this season.

The Vikings' oft-maligned line looked sharp against the Cardinals, giving Latavius Murray plenty of room to run.

The veteran running back produced the Vikings' first 100-yard game of the season, rushing for 155 yards and a touchdown while averaging 6.46 yards per carry.

Other notes from Sunday's snap counts:

-- Rookie Mike Hughes played just 12 snaps on defense before leaving the game with what the Vikings would later learn was a torn ACL.

-- Veteran safety George Iloka started for the first time this season, appearing on 74 percent of the Vikings' snaps on defense with Andrew Sendejo out.

-- Tight end David Morgan played on 41 percent of the Vikings' snaps on offense, his largest share of the snaps since Week 1.

-- Safety Harrison Smith played on all 58 of the Vikings' snaps on defense, and is now the only defensive player to have played on 100 percent of Minnesota's defensive snaps this season.

-- Rookie running back Alex Boone was on the field for just three snaps on offense and had just once carry, but rushed for a career-high 20 yards.

OFFENSE

PLAYER	Plays (71)	%
Compton	71	100%
Remmers	71	100%
Hill	71	100%
O'Neill	71	100%
Elflein	71	100%
Cousins	71	100%
Thielen	69	97%
Diggs	63	89%
Rudolph	60	85%
Murray	58	82%
Treadwell	38	54%
Morgan	29	41%
Ham	14	20%
Conklin	9	13%
Robinson	6	8%
Thomas	5	7%
Boone	3	4%
Smith	1	1%

DEFENSE

PLAYER	Plays (58)	%
Smith	58	100%
Barr	58	100%
Kendricks	58	100%
Waynes	56	97%
Rhodes	56	97%
Weatherly	51	88%
Hunter	50	86%
Iloka	43	74%
Joseph	41	71%
Richardson	39	67%
Alexander	33	57%
T. Johnson	19	33%
J. Johnson	16	28%
Harris	15	26%
Holmes	15	26%
Hughes	12	21%
Gedeon	10	17%
Kearse	5	9%
Wilson	3	5%