Questions Answered: Training Camp Surprise for Vikings, Preseason Prediction, Scared of CHI
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the August 5th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Training Camp Surprise for Vikings, Preseason Prediction, Scared of CHI
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: What’s the biggest surprise for the Vikings at training camp so far?
Answer: Dalton Risner as a backup … at right guard.
Risner is one of the NFL’s best pass-protecting guards, and for him to live with second-teamers on the depth of a squad that could feature a rookie quarterback this season is a bit odd. Of course, Risner isn’t very adept at plowing running lanes — probably why he’s trending toward Ed Ingram’s backup in 2024.
However, Risner performed well last year, and the Vikings re-signed him in May. It’s a bit surprising that a career-long starter may not start this fall.
Generally speaking, while Risner could still score an upset, he’s realistically battling for the RG spot at the start of training camp and may morph into a reservist player by September. He hasn’t played too much right guard in his career, if any.
Q: How much will we see the Vikings’ quarterbacks in the preseason? Will Sam Darnold sit because he’s the QB1?
Answer: We think each quarterback — Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall — will get about one quarter of playing time.
This is give-or-take because head coach Kevin O’Connell probably won’t pull a starter mid-drive at the end of a quarter, but you get the point. Minnesota has no clear-cut QB1 to safeguard from injury for the first time in a while, so all four passers should experience playing time.
It will probably go (in order): Darnold, McCarthy, Mullens, and Hall.
Q: Are you scared of the Chicago Bears? Man, their roster is so stacked.
A: Their roster is quite sweet; we’ll agree.
Yet, Chicago is sort of in the same spot as Minnesota — waiting to find out if the rookie quarterback is any good. The Bears have all the offensive weapons (for the first time in a while), and the defensive personnel was never too much of a problem in the last few seasons.
On the whole, we believe the Bears will finish 7-10 or 8-19, which is also our prediction for the Vikings.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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