6 Things to Watch for in Vikings’ 1st Preseason Game
The Minnesota Vikings’ preseason is just three days away, as the franchise hosts the Las Vegas Raiders for exhibition football this Saturday.
6 Things to Watch for in Vikings’ 1st Preseason Game
The Raiders are favored to win by 3.5 points — if that can be believed.
So, to set the table for the preseason, these are six items to monitor from a Vikings perspective, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top item to watch).
6. Will Reichard’s Leg
Reichard has kicked like a stud at training camp, easily drilling field goals from 50+ yards while displaying accuracy and summer consistency.
Now, he must begin translating the practice heroism into a semi-meaningful setting, and that begins this weekend versus the Raiders. The Vikings are wildly overdue for an organically drafted kicker to succeed.
5. Booth & Cine
Andrew Booth was listed right around CB5 on the team’s first depth chart release this week — also known as the rather emphatic roster bubble zone. His defensive back pal and 2022 draft mate, Lewis Cine, is tucked around the sixth safety spot.
At the start of the summer, many whispered that both men could be cut before the regular season. Cine, as an odd man out, feels like a no-brainer, while Booth straddles the roster bubble.
Their collective last best hope to make the 53-man roster could be the next three preseason contests.
4. The DTs
At the spot next to Harrison Phillips on the defensive line, these eight men are vying for starters’ jobs and roster spots:
DE1: Jerry Tillery
DE2: Jonathan Bullard
DE3: James Lynch
DE4: Jaquelin Roy
DE5: Jonah Williams
DE6: Levi Drake Rodriguez
DE7: Jalen Redmond
DE8: Tyler Manoa
Minnesota cannot keep them all, so keeping an eye on DT standouts will headline Vikings festivities versus Las Vegas.
3. Cornerback Performance
Considered by most as the weakest spot on Minnesota’s depth chart — or at least the most concerning — the Vikings continue to battle turmoil in the cornerback room. It’s why general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has signed Duke Shelley, Fabian Moreau, and Jacobi Francis in the last few weeks.
Minnesota desperately needs a cornerback or two to emerge alongside presumptive starters Byron Murphy and Shaquill Griffin. The picture will become clearer in the first preseason game.
2. Who Does NOT Play
Head coach Kevin O’Connell famously doesn’t play bonafide starters in preseason games, so whoever is not on the field in the 1st Quarter is always telling. One can typically deduce the early semblance of O’Connell’s 2024 plan by studying who sat during preseason games. Call it a hack.
By a rudimentary count, Minnesota has about 35 players who are locks to make the 53-man roster. The rest are bubble players and men vying for the practice squad.
1. J.J. McCarthy — In General
This man is the one ginormous hope for Vikings football. In many ways, he alone dictates the immediate future of the franchise. Of course, football is a team effort, but if McCarthy emerges into a Joe Burrow-like starter or devolves into “another Christian Ponder,” the franchise will embark on a mammoth leap forward or setback that will sink the club for 2-5 years.
McCarthy has looked wonderful at training camp, and watching his performance in a more organized setting like the preseason is by far the most important item to monitor on Saturday.
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 Vikings 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.