Breaking News: NFL playoff teams are exposing the Vikings’ flaws in personnel decisions beyond quarterback.

The NFL’s elite eight go beyond big-name quarterbacks, including some prospects from the 2022 draft that the Vikings passed up.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) is backed up by the playoffs’ finest offensive line, which includes center Frank Ragnow (77), guard Jonah Jackson (73), and offensive tackle Penei Sewell (58).

The Star Tribune has learned that the NFL would stage four division playoff games with 168 starters who do not play quarterback.

Let us meet some of them.

The Lions offensive line

In Detroit, there aren’t five more significant Lions than Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, second-year All-Pro Frank Ragnow of Chanhassen, Graham Glasgow, and Penei Sewell, a first-team All-Pro from another planet. The best offensive line in football stops cement-shod Jared Goff from becoming a sitting duck on the front porch of Bud Grant’s home in heaven.

The Lions had the league’s most rushing touchdowns (29 in 18 games) and are the only club to rank in the top five in overall offense, rushing, passing, average per rush, average per pass, fewest sacks allowed, time of possession, red zone efficiency, and scoring. Until the Vikings can match Detroit’s kneecap-biting toughness up front across the board, it makes no difference which creative trick play Kevin O’Connell chooses.

Antoine Winfield Jr., Bucs

In Tampa, the greatest and most outspoken player on a Bucs defense that is hitting its stride is safety Antoine Winfield Jr., a former Gopher who should be a current Viking.

Winfield was named first-team All-Pro after matching what Rodney Harrison, an old-school ornery safety, did 24 years ago. Winfield became the first player since Harrison in 2000 to have at least 120 tackles (122), 10 passes defensed (12), and five sacks (6) in a single season.

Four years ago, Rick Spielman moved from 25 to 31 in the first round. The 49ers drafted receiver Brandon Aiyuk 25th overall. The Packers selected Jordan Love 26th. The Ravens selected second-team All-Pro linebacker Patrick Queen 28th overall. The Vikings selected cornerback Jeff Gladney 31st. The Bucs

Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis are Chiefs.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs are attempting to reach their sixth consecutive AFC title game with the most susceptible offense of Patrick Mahomes’ career. Fortunately, Andy Reid has the best Chiefs defense he’s ever had.

Trent McDuffie (cornerback) and George Karlaftis (edge rusher) are two of his primary defenders. Both were taken after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded his 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft and before selecting Lewis Cine 32nd overall.

McDuffie was named first-team All-Pro this season. Karlaftis had 19 sacks in two seasons, including 1½ in a wild-card win where Kansas City limited Miami’s top-ranked offense to only one third-down conversion in 12 attempts.

Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum of the Ravens

On to Baltimore, the AFC’s top seeded Ravens are first in scoring defense (16.5) and fourth in scoring (28.4). Two of their second-year stalwarts are first-team All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who was picked two spots after Adofo-Mensah surrendered his pick, and first-time Pro Bowl selection Tyler Linderbaum, a burly center who was selected 25th and now plays in the heart of Baltimore’s top-ranked run game.

Quay Walker, Packers

Inside linebacker Quay Walker, who was drafted 22nd overall in 2022, is fresh off a game-high 11 tackles in the seventh-seeded Packers’ stunning upset of the Cowboys. Walker had a team-high 118 tackles during the regular season and is one of the only three Packers since 1970 to have two consecutive 100-tackle seasons.Read More.