5 Winners from the Vikings’ Second Preseason Game
The Minnesota Vikings took on the New England Patriots on Saturday for their second of three preseason games this year.
Ultimately, Minnesota lost the game by a score of 20-12, but there was plenty of positive to take away from the outing. Here are five winners from this weekend’s matchup.
Minnesota will close out their preseason schedule next Friday when they head to Tennessee and take on the Titans.
Winners from the Vikings’ Second Preseason Game
P Oscar Chapman
It is clear after Saturday’s game that Oscar Chapman is still in the running to be Minnesota’s punter this season, and he has continued to hold his own in a roster battle with Ryan Wright. The undrafted free agent out of Auburn had the longest punt of the day, which traveled 58 yards before being downed at New England’s 38.
Chapman also continues to get opportunities to hold kicks for Will Reichard, and everything went smoothly once again on Saturday.
RB Zavier Scott
Zavier Scott handled the lion’s share of the carries out of the backfield on Saturday, and while it wasn’t the most efficient day on the ground with 10 carries for 28 yards, he once again showed explosive play ability as a receiver out of the backfield.
Scott caught three of his four targets for 44 yards. That receiving ability was his most attractive trait coming into the NFL. He also returned a kick for 20 yards on Saturday. Given the continued workload for Scott, it seems the Vikings are looking to find a spot for him on their offense heading into the season.
DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Minnesota’s fifth-round pick continues to be an absolute machine in the middle of the defensive line. Ingram-Dawkins demolished Patriots center Garrett Bradbury on a pass rushing rep during the game and had a tackle for loss to boot.
Ingram-Dawkins is going to have a tough time cutting into the defensive snaps this season with Jonathan Allen, Harrison Phillips, and Javon Hargrave ahead of him on the depth chart, but there is a place for him on this team.
It’s also worth noting the Vikings would save $7.5 million next spring if they were to cut Phillips. With Ingram-Dawkins continuing to prove he has NFL talent, perhaps a plan is in place for him to take over a starting role in 2026.
WR Myles Price
The Vikings still need to find an answer at both return positions this season, and Myles Price made a great case as to why he should be in the running on Saturday. He took his only kick return opportunity 81 yards against the Patriots, and he was the only Viking to record a punt return, totaling two returns for 33 yards.
That punt return job has been particularly unsteady over the past few years, so perhaps Price could be a breath of fresh air at the position.
WR Tim Jones
The Tim Jones/Max Brosmer connection continue to shine on Saturday as the veteran receiver caught five passes for 68 yards, leading the Vikings in both categories. With so much uncertainty pertaining to Minnesota’s wide receiver room at this point, perhaps Jones can still find a way to land a roster spot and contribute in 2025.
It wouldn’t entirely be unprecedented for the Vikings to take a veteran who hasn’t shown a ton of receiving chops throughout his NFL career and find a role for him on the offense, either. Brandon Powell joined the Vikings in 2023 after five NFL seasons, and he immediately totaled career highs in both receptions and receiving yards. In fact, his 324 receiving yards in 2023 nearly doubled his career yardage total heading into that season of 354.
You can also look at both Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver as examples. Despite largely holding roles as blocking tight ends throughout their early careers, both players were immediately injected into Minnesota’s passing offense once they joined the team.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via ESPN.
You must be logged in to post a comment.