Sudden and Steady Risers: Vikings Preseason X-Factor Report
Week two of the preseason, in the way Kevin O’Connell runs his program, is more telling with second and third string players in game two.
Since most starters are done playing in the preseason at this point, the next level of players gets extended time. The thing you’re looking for most of all is consistency from one game to the next, and all you can do to judge the players in waiting is see if they put the same thing or more on tape.
Explore sudden risers and steady hands shaping the Minnesota Vikings’ preseason. A full breakdown of key X-factors set to define the 2025 campaign.
I suggested some players to watch this game to see if they kept up their level of play or became more of a concern should they need to take the field. Offensively some guys took a step back while a few more emerged from obscurity. Defensively, the 2nd string players actually stopped the Patriots’ 1st string offense impressively on the opening drive.
Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel was unhappy with their performance in joint practices and felt they needed extra work today. Watching the 2nd string do well against their starters was impressive, even if they surrendered a touchdown on the next possession. Overall, the Vikings played a bit sloppily as the game went on, but one guy who kept shining is kicker Will Reichard, who scored all the points today in a 20-12 loss.
Vikings’ X-Factors thru 2 Preseason Games
Sam Howell / Brett Rypien/ Max Brosmer
After last week, I thought the reports of Sam Howell’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Maybe they weren’t. Howell threw up a terrible interception – one that I think he was trying to throw out of bounds as he was getting hit- and he had a bad game.
It was also somewhat because his wideouts didn’t play their best. Rypien looked better in this game than last week and also didn’t get help from his receivers. Brosmer struggled a little bit this week, but it was heartening to see that he never got rattled, unlike last week. The rookie has ice in his veins and doesn’t get phased by any mistakes by himself or his teammates. He got sacked when he could have moved up in the pocket a few times, but he keeps going.
He led the team on a late, possible game-tying drive, but it wasn’t meant to be today. If the Vikings release him when cuts start, he will be grabbed by another team if they can’t get him to the practice squad.
Michael Jurgens / Joe Huber / Henry Byrd
Let’s look at the guards first in Huber and Byrd. Once again, they played pretty well most of the game and showed that they might have a spot on this Vikings’ squad. Huber did have one play where the defensive lineman got the best of him for a sack, but other than that, he looked solid. Byrd also held up well, and I didn’t see him struggle too much.
He did get a leg tweak late in the game that he toughed out by jogging off the field. We’ll see if he shows up on any injury reports this week. There is a world where both these guys could make the team, with Byrd being the odd man out if there isn’t room. Huber put a lot on tape last week and has had some buzz coming out of camp. Jurgens has shown us all enough. I suggest putting him on ice to avoid losing him for the season, especially if Ryan Kelly gets injured. He has played solidly and consistently, and there’s not much more to show anyone.
The team is trying Vershon Lee at center to see how he does since Zeke Correll broke his ankle last week. He also played well late in the game, so it’s nice to have some depth there.
Ben Yurosek / Giovanni Ricci
I had trouble finding these guys as much today, which is for good reason. They were doing their jobs very well. They both started the game in multiple tight end sets and were blocking lights out. This is something to get you noticed, even if you’re not getting many stats with the ball in your hand.
While I think Yurosek still has the upper hand, Ricci is going to decide on who to cut extremely hard for the coaching staff. I could see the team keeping both if they kept four running backs with CJ Ham in that grouping. A stronger running game is what O’Connell said he wanted this year, and these guys could add to that aspect with the updated offensive line.
Veteran Nick Vannett had a few “splash” moments, so he may sneak in if he shows up more next week.
Lucky Jackson / Tai Felton / Silas Bolden / Tim Jones / Myles Price
Oh boy. If you didn’t see the game and I were to tell you one of these guys had another great game, you might not guess correctly. Jackson dropped some passes, most notably one on the sideline that Rypien hit him with perfectly that would have been a first down.
Tai Felton had a neat catch on a tipped ball, but also fumbled on a kick return that the Vikings recovered, and didn’t do too much after that. Silas Bolden got some return work but didn’t do anything on offense. Tim Jones had five catches for 68 yards and a nice sideline catch, but showed up on the wrong side of penalties on multiple special teams plays. He’s known for being good at special teams, but he also had a penalty last week.
The guy who continues to shine after catching a touchdown last week is Myles Price. He had some great catches again this week, and he returned punts with some great success. His biggest highlight was an 81-yard kick return to the 7-yard line. Price is the only wide receiver that stepped up today, putting the others on alert.
Ty Chandler / Zavier Scott / Tre Stewart
The gap between Chandler and Scott is razor-thin at this point. Chandler didn’t do much today to keep Scott in the dust, with three carries for 12 yards and no receptions. Scott had 10 carries for 28 yards and three catches for 44 yards and once again looked very much ready for the role.
Chandler had a great block on Milton Williams that allowed Howell to get loose for a 5-yard scramble. I saw Scott on one play do an OK job on pass protection, and that is the thing that will be the ultimate factor in the decision. Tre Stewart got some more playing time this week and looked OK, but he’s still headed for the practice squad at this point.
Gabriel Murphy / Bo Richter / Tyler Batty / Chaz Chambliss
Dallas Turner didn’t suit up for today’s game, so this gave everyone behind him, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Johnathan Greenard a chance to solidify their spot on the team. Murphy lit up the field last week and put fans on notice that he had improved on last year’s lackluster performance.
Today was a bit more pedestrian with only a solo tackle, but it was for a loss. Richter was solid with 3 tackles and a pass defense with some decent pressure on the quarterbacks. Chambliss was all over the field again and picked up three tackles of his own. Batty is the most intriguing player because he started the game as a defensive tackle for the second game in a row.
Could he be the next multitool player, similar to Josh Mettellus, but from the linebacker/defensive line? He may be the latest experiment in the Brian Flores mad laboratory. He had tremendous pressure and hit Drake Maye on the Patriots’ second drive, which makes him one to keep a close eye on.
Kobe King
With none of the starters playing or the primary backup middle linebacker, Eric Wilson, it gave King a good amount of playing time to show off what he can do. He’s known more as a downhill thumper, and that showed up with 5 tackles.
He also had to cover rookie star in the making TreVeyon Henderson on a wheel route, breaking up the pass and registering a hit on the quarterback. He played solidly, and with the release of Brian Asamoah earlier this week, he basically will be on the team if he doesn’t make any huge mistakes.
Ryan Wright / Oscar Chapman
This is becoming more interesting with each game. Let’s be clear that Wright hasn’t done anything wrong in the preseason. His punts have been solid, high with great hangtime, and on target when he hasn’t had to directional punt.
Chapman has had some decent punts, but nothing phenomenal or had massive hang times. He also hasn’t outkicked his coverage, either, which is good. It’s really hard to say which one is the frontrunner over the other. What was interesting was that Chapman held on to almost all of Reichard’s kicks today.
That was either to give him plenty of opportunities to practice it in game situations, or they were trying him out fully to decide on who should stay or go.
Elijah Williams
Last week, Williams popped up late in the game against the Texans, but it didn’t look like much at the time. I have to admit I missed Brian Baldinger breaking down his tape this week. I guess my algorithms were off. Anyway, he was doing more than we thought, and he was affecting the offense on almost every play.
Today, he had another solid game where he was flashing and holding up the point of attack. Williams has one more game to make an impact and get some more on tape. He will need to get past veterans like Taki Taimani, who also has played well, if he wants to stay on the Vikings.
The offense didn’t score a touchdown today, and the defense didn’t force any turnovers. As I mentioned earlier, the team’s overall gameplay was sloppy, and it seemed some players weren’t fully engaged. That’s a mistake you can’t make when trying to latch on to a team.
One last note, can somebody throw a decent pass to Thayer Thomas? I’d really like to see what he can do since none of the receivers are thrilling me at this point. Maybe he’s the guy that needs to get more looks similar to Price to find the depth we need at that position.
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