NASHVILLE, Tenn. >> In search of a some stability in the trenches, the Vikings made a change on the interior of the offensive line.

As the Vikings took the field against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium, they did so with Dalton Risner starting at right guard in place of Ed Ingram.

This has been a long time coming as Ingram has struggled with consistency throughout his NFL career.

Frankly, it might have happened sooner had Risner not suffered a back injury in training camp. He was activated a couple of weeks ago and now he’s getting his chance to prove that he should be the starter moving forward.

Asked why the Vikings decided to make the move, coach Kevin O’Connell tried to keep the focus more on giving Risner rather than Ingram.

“I wanted to take a look with Dalton being healthy now,” O’Connell said. “Just seeing if we could get a little bit more of a veteran presence.”

This is the first time Risner has started at right guard in his NFL career, with him operating exclusively as left guard to this point. It was a tall task for Risner having to deal with star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons snap-in and snap-out.

“We will look at the tape and see how Dalton did,” O’Connell said. “I felt him totally into the game.”

This could be the beginning of the end for Ingram’s time as a fixture in the starting lineup. He was selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and had previously started every game in which he’s been active.

“I was proud of the way Ed handled this week,” O’Connell said. “He was prepared and ready to roll.”

Smith has memorable homecoming

In what could very well be his final time playing in his home state, veteran safety Harrison Smith recorded an interception to close out the game. He tracked down an errant pass from quarterback Will Levis in the final minutes and calmly hauled it in.

Asked about the moment, Smith joked that it made up for the fact that he dropped an interception earlier in the game.

“I love him,” O’Connell said. “He’s such an impactful player for this organization. How many times has he made a play like that in a moment like that where his team needs him? He’s always there to make the play.”

Jefferson breaks yet another record

With a reception early in the game, star receiver Justin Jefferson broke another franchise record. That particular catch from Jefferson helped him pass legendary receiver Randy Moss for the most receiving yards for a player in his first five seasons with the Vikings.

Not long after that Jefferson broke another NFL record.

After hauling in a pass from veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, Jefferson officially passed former Los Angeles Rams star receiver Torry Holt for the most receiving yards for a player in his first five seasons int he NFL. To this point in his career, Jefferson has 451 catches for 6,811 yards and 35 touchdowns.

On a separate note, Jefferson has 59 catches for 912 yards this season. That puts him in very good position to go over 1,000 yards for the fifth time in a row.