Minnesota Vikings 27
Cleveland Browns 12
It’s preseason. Still, it felt unusual to have a comfortable win. Over the last couple seasons, the Vikings have made one-score games the norm.
The Vikings had two joint practices with the Browns in advance of yesterday’s game. There was probably a bitter blend of familiarity and “I’ve had enough” between the two teams. The two practices were reportedly dominated by the defenses. In the game that counts, as much as preseason games count, the offenses got a little bit of revenge. When needed the defenses still made some plays. Vikings interceptions in the red zone kept the Browns out of the end zone. Browns sacks forced the Vikings to settle for field goals. The 27-12 Vikings win might best be explained in the turnover difference of 3-0.
The Good:
Lewis Cine
We finally saw the player that ripped it up at Georgia. He hasn’t looked explosive and physical since the brutal leg injury that ended his 2022 rookie season. Has Cine finally returned to the player that the Vikings drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft? Who knows? I do know that Cine needed a game like this. He was explosive. He was physical.
Trishton Jackson
The Vikings receiver group is topped by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jalen Nailor’s spot feels assured. Brandon Powell is a solid WR4. Trishton Jackson is having the sort of training camp and preseason in which he might be challenging the receivers above him on official and unofficial depth charts. Jackson no longer looks the receiver that bounces between the active roster and practice squad. He looks ready to compete on Sundays.
The Run Game
The Vikings were often ahead of the chains with chunky run gains. Kene Nwangwu averaged over six yards on seven carries. Myles Gaskin was nearly as effective with an average of five yards on each of his nine carries. With backups on both sides, the Vikings consistently ran successfully. It becomes an attitude.
Bo Richter
Bo Richter had another sack.
Dwight McGlothern
With the incredible loss of the past month, the Vikings need corners to step up. Dwight McGlothern is the cornerback that has. In training camp, the joint practices with the Browns, two preseason games, he keeps making his presence felt. Yesterday, he took an interception back 90 yards. If there was a complaint of the play it’s that he didn’t score. He had the opportunity. He didn’t have the batteries. He died before he got to the end zone. Still, he ultimately ignited a 14-point flip.
Walter Rouse
It’s tough for me to thoroughly follow offensive line play in real time. One thing I do notice in real time is an offensive lineman keeping his side clean. Walter Rouse has been keeping his side clean. He does not play like a rookie.
Will Reichard
Due to the Vikings recent kicking woes, I feel like I need to see about 5-6 years of consistently strong kicking before I finally trust one of these guys. I really, really like what I’ve seen from Will Reichard. This kid can be the best kicker in franchise history. I feel like that interests him less than his next kick.
The Bad:
Ed Ingram
Ed Ingram worries me. He’s the only “projected” offensive starter that had to play against the Browns. Even against backups he had some difficulties. I don’t know what to think about him. He was drafted in the second round. He’s been a starter since his first game. All opportunities have been handed to him. He’s supposed to be one of the cornerstones of the line. Instead, he’s become the weak link. He has a couple weeks to get it together. Right now, I’d rather see Dalton Risner or Tyrese Robinson at right guard.
Jeshaun Jones
In this game, there was a catch that Jeshaun Jones had to catch. Third-string quarterback Jaren Hall had entered the game. Hall put the ball on Jones. A perfect pass? No. A Catchable pass? Absolutely. Jones dropped a pass that he could not drop. A catch moves the chains. A catch shifts the game. A drop changes everything. Next possession, Hall tossed a beauty to Jones, over a defender, 71 yards for a touchdown. Jones has a real shot at a practice squad spot and a long shot at a roster spot. The drop didn’t help him. The catch and long run helped. I’m not sure which is more significant.
Preseason games are interesting games. They are what you want to make of them. If an NFL team wants to win all of their preseason games, they probably see little resistance. While every one of these practice games mean something, none of them mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Watching Nick Mullens fling the ball around a football field is fun. Watching a Vikings defense and a Browns defense obliterate the rules of “vanilla defenses” during the preseason is fun. Football is fun. Even preseason football is fun.
Two games.Two wins. Since 2019, that’s new to the Vikings.
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