Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster

With the release of over 20 players yesterday, the Minnesota Vikings reduced their roster to 53 players. 

Some of the highlights from the toughest day on the NFL calendar.

The only real surprise among the moves was the release of defensive lineman Armon Watts. He was seen as a starter in the base 3-4 defense. The move made a bit more sense when it was announced that the Vikings had traded a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and a 2023 seventh-round pick. When it comes to the respective NFL production of Watts and Blacklock, may fans aren’t a fan of the deal. The Vikings clearly didn’t see Watts as an ideal fit in the new scheme. Blacklock was one of the best defensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Texans grabbed him with the eighth pick of the second round. He has elite quickness and agility in his pass rush. He’s relentless. That’s a fine start for a defensive lineman. Perhaps the Vikings coaches feel that they can unlock his potential. 

The Vikings have had an exhilarating backup quarterback competition this offseason and through training camp. Sean Mannion vs. Kellen Mond. Both contenders were released as the Vikings are going with the quarterback that they acquired last week. Nick Mullens will back up Kirk Cousins. Mond or Mannion could return to the team as a member of the practice squad. 

Offensive lineman Jesse Davis was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 conditional seventh-round pick. 2025!

The last draft class of the Rick Spielman era took some hits. The Vikings had four third round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Kellen Mond, QB

Chazz Surratt, LB

Wyatt Davis, OG

Patrick Jones II, DE

After yesterday’s cuts, only Jones remains from that third round haul. Fourth-round pick Janarius Robinson, fifth-round pick Zach Davidson, and sixth-round Jaylen Twyman were also released. It’s easy to bash Spielman and his final Vikings draft but the draft did bring in Christian Darrisaw, Jones, Kene Nwagwu, Camryn Bynum, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. That’s a starting left tackle in Darrisaw, a starting safety in Bynum, a rotational pass rusher in Jones, and the team’s likely kick and punt returners in Nwangwu and Smith-Marsette. I wouldn’t be surprised if most, if not all, of the released 2021 draft picks are signed to the practice squad. Their Minnesota days may not be done. 

It’s important to remember that an NFL roster is a very fluid thing. The 53 players that survived yesterday’s cuts might not be the 53 players that are on the roster when the season starts. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster 53-man Roster

Offense (25)

Quarterbacks (2)

  8 Kirk Cousins

11 Kellen Mond

Running Backs (4)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (5)

19 Adam Thielen

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette

83 Jalen Nailor

 

Tight Ends (3)

84 Irv Smith Jr.

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

Tackles (5)

71 Christian Darrisaw

75 Brian O’Neill

74 Oli Udoh

64 Blake Brandel

63 Vederian Lowe

Guards (3)

72 Ezra Cleveland

67 Ed Ingram

62 Chris Reed

Centers (2)

56 Garrett Bradbury

65 Austin Schlottman

Defense (25)

Defensive Linemen (6)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

97 Harrison Phillips

92 James Lynch

     Ross Blacklock

90 Esezi Otomeow

79 Jonathan Bullard

Edge (5)

99 Danielle Hunter

55 Za’Darius Smith

98 D.J. Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones II

43 Luiji Vilain

Linebackers (4)

54 Eric Kendricks

58 Jordan Hicks

33 Brian Asamoah

45 Troy Dye

Cornerbacks (6)

  7 Patrick Peterson

  3 Cameron Dantzler

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

39 Chandon Sullivan

29 Kris Boyd

Safeties (4)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punters (1)

66 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

***

Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform

13 Blake Proehl, WR

57 Ryan Connelly, LB

Reserve/Injured

89 Thomas Hennigan, WR

81 Olabisi Johnson, WR

76 T.Y. McGill, Jr., DL

79 Kenny Willekes, DL

A Final Guess At the Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings will reveal their 53-man roster today. This is a final guess at that roster.

Offense (25)

Quarterbacks (2)

Kirk Cousins

Nick Mullens

Running Backs (4)

Dalvin Cook

Alexander Mattison

Kene Nwangwu

Ty Chandler

Fullback (1)

C.J. Ham

Wide Receivers (5)

Justin Jefferson

Adam Thielen

K.J. Osborn

Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

Jalen Nailor

Olabisi Johnson’s knee injury in the final preseason game is brutal. He worked his way back from last year’s knee injury and played his way onto the roster. Then he tears the ACL in his other knee in the final preseason game. Just brutal. 

I actually believe that the Vikings will keep six receivers. If that’s true, it comes down to Triston Jackson vs Dan Chisena. I’m going with five on this guess at the roster so I can keep four tight ends. 

Tight Ends (4)

Irv Smith Jr.

Johnny Mundt

Ben Ellefson

Zach Davidson

This has been one of the toughest positions to predict. Ben Ellefson’s blocking gets him on the roster. I hoped that Zach Davidson would play his way onto the roster. His preseason drops worry me. His talent intrigues me. 

Offensive Line (9)

Christian Darrisaw

Ezra Cleveland

Garrett Bradbury

Ed Ingram

Brian O’Neill

Vederian Lowe

Jesse Davis

Chris Reed

Austin Schlottman

It’s no way to determine a roster but Vederian Lowe won a coin flip with Blake Brandel. 

Defense (25)

Defensive Line (6)

Harrison Phillips

Dalvin Tomlinson

Armon Watts

Jonathan Bullard

James Lynch

Jaylen Twyman

Edge (5)

Danielle Hunter

Za’Darius Smith

D.J. Wonnum

Patrick Jones II

Janarius Robinson

From what I’ve seen in preseason games, I can’t decide between Janarius Robinson, Zach McCloud, and Luiji Vilain. I do think that the Vikings need five edge rushers on the roster. 

Linebackers (4)

Eric Kendricks

Jordan Hicks

Brian Asamoah

Troy Dye

Cornerbacks (6)

Patrick Peterson

Cam Dantzler

Chandon Sullivan

Andrew Booth Jr.

Akayleb Evans

Kris Boyd

Safeties (4)

Harrison Smith

Lewis Cine

Camryn Bynum

Josh Metellus

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

Greg Joseph

Punter (1)

Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

Andrew DePaola

Top 100 Players of 2022: 20 - 1

The Top 20 Players of 2022 were revealed last night. 

20. J.C. Jackson, CB, Los Angeles Chargers

19. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

18. Shaquille Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts

17. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

16. Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys

15. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

14. Trent Williams. OT, San Francisco 49ers

13. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

12. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

11. Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

10. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

  9. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Los Angeles Rams

  8. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

  7. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

  6. T.J. Watt, Edge, Pittsburgh Steelers

  5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

  4. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

  3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

  2. Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams

  1. Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

***

It’s great to see Justin Jefferson among the game’s elite players. His first two years in the league have been ridiculous. Over 3,000 receiving yards in just two seasons. His first two seasons! No player has ever done that. It still feels like he’s just scratching the surface of his unique talent. 

It took Micah Parsons a single season to join the game’s elite players. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a defensive player so disruptive so soon. Lawrence Taylor?

Three players among the Top 20 changed teams this offseason. 

J.C. Jackson

Tyreek Hill

Davante Adams

The players on this list, especially those at the top of the list, are cornerstone players for their respective teams. It’s always a little surprising to see some switching teams. 

Trent Williams has always been one of the game’s elite offensive tackles. Still, he’s been a revelation for the San Francisco 49ers. With Washington, he was a probable Hall of Famer. With the 49ers, he’s become a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

#13 feels low for Josh Allen.

Despite somehow being the reigning MVP, #3 feels too high for Aaron Rodgers. Maybe that’s because he’s become so damn annoying. 

#2 is too low for Aaron Donald. 

Vikings - Broncos: Preseason Game #3

Minnesota Vikings 13

Denver Broncos 23

I can’t believe the Broncos decided to end a preseason game with a meaningless field goal. The Vikings served up the opportunity by going for it on 4th-and-27 from their own 8-yard line with two minutes to play. They just wanted to end this game and the preseason. Even though punting was a highlight of the game, they didn’t need to see another one. They didn’t need to see another injury. The new Vikings coaches had seen enough. The new Broncos coaches had other plans. Meaningless points in a meaningless game. They even took a timeout to make it happen. 

The preseason is over. Finally.

There really isn’t much to say about this game. The Vikings played zero starters again. It was kinda strange to watch a preseason with so few starters getting snaps. The starting offensive line had a token appearance in the first preseason ngame. Defensive lineman Armon Watts had a handful of snaps. Other than that, three games, all backups. 

Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond. This game was further evidence that the Vikings had to make last week’s trade for Nick Mullens. The future in Minnesota of Mannion and Mond may have rested on last night’s game. I’d seen enough of Mannion after last year’s game against the Green Bay Packers. I had higher hopes for Mond this training camp and preseason. He did some good things in the first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He threw ridiculous interceptions in the second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. Last night was a big game for Mond. It didn’t go well. He made a couple nice throws. More often, he looked too hesitant to make a decision. It’s a good thing the Vikings made that trade for Mullens. 

The Vikings players of this game:

Ryan Wright

Greg Joseph

The punter and the kicker! That says all that needs to be said about this game. Actually, something more needs to be said about Wright. Perhaps it was a combination of winning the Vikings punting job earlier in the week and kicking at altitude in Denver. Whatever. He was brilliant. He had four punts. Three were downed inside the 11-yard line. He pinned a 68-yard punt at the 2-yard line. His lone touchback was his longest punt. 71 yards. His four punts went for 225 yards. A 56.25 average. It was preseason but it may have been the best game I’ve seen from a Vikings punter. My hope is that the Vikings don’t have to punt much this season. When Wright does punt I hope that he punts like he did last night. 

Joseph has been great throughout training camp and preseason games. He had kicks of 46 and 58 yards against the Broncos. Both kicks looked like they’d clear the uprights from more than 65 yards. 

The punter and the kicker! It was that sort of game. It’s time for the regular season. It’s time for the starters. Finally. 

Bring on the Green Bay Packers. 

Minnesota Vikings 80-man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings visit the Denver Broncos for their final preseason game. In advance of the big game, here’s the Vikings 80-man roster. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense (39)

Quarterbacks (4)

  8 Kirk Cousins

11 Kellen Mond

14 Sean Mannion

12 Nick Mullens

Running Backs (5)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

38 Bryant Koback

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (9)

19 Adam Thielen

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette

81 Olabisi Johnson

83 Jalen Nailor

87 Myron Mitchell

  9 Trishton Jackson

85 Dan Chisena

Tight Ends (5)

84 Irv Smith Jr.

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

40 Zach Davidson

34 Nick Muse

Tackles (6)

71 Christian Darrisaw

75 Brian O’Neill

74 Oli Udoh

64 Blake Brandel

63 Vederian Lowe

61 Timon Parris

Guards (6)

72 Ezra Cleveland

67 Ed Ingram

73 Jesse Davis

62 Chris Reed

52 Wyatt Davis

68 Kyle Hinton

Centers (3)

56 Garrett Bradbury

65 Austin Schlottman

60 Josh Sokol

Defense (38)

Defensive Linemen (9)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

97 Harrison Phillips

98 Armon Watts

92 James Lynch

93 Jaylen Twyman

90 Esezi Otomeow

79 Jonathan Bullard

76 T.Y. McGill

50 T.J. Smith

Edge (7)

99 Danielle Hunter

55 Za’Darius Smith

98 D.J. Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones II

95 Janarius Robinson

43 Luiji Vilain

59 Zach McCloud

Linebackers (7)

54 Eric Kendricks

58 Jordan Hicks

33 Brian Asamoah

45 Troy Dye

41 Chazz Suratt

48 Blake Lynch

47 William Kwenkeu

Cornerbacks (9)

  7 Patrick Peterson

  3 Cameron Dantzler

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

39 Chandon Sullivan

29 Kris Boyd

27 Nate Hairston

35 Parry Nickerson

  5 Tye Smith

Safeties (6)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

46 Miles Dorn

37 Mike Brown

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punters (1)

66 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

***

Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform

13 Blake Proehl, WR

57 Ryan Connelly, LB

Reserve/Injured

89 Thomas Hennigan, WR

78 Jullian Taylor, DL

79 Kenny Willekes, DL

The Vikings Pick Their Punter

Through offseason workouts, training camp, and two preseason games, the Minnesota Vikings have had a punter competition. Incumbent, and seven-year veteran, Jordan Berry was challenged by undrafted rookie Ryan Wright. The competition had been so close that Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels suggested that there might be a “punt-off” in tomorrow’s final preseason game against the Denver Broncos. That won’t be necessary. The Vikings decided yesterday that the rookie out of Tulane will be the punter. 

The Vikings have made breaking in a new punter a near annual event. Jeff Locke’s four-year run at the position ended with the 2016 season. Since then:

2017: Ryan Quigley

2018: Matt Wile

2019: Britton Colquitt

2020: Britton Colquitt

2021: Jordan Berry

With Wright being a rookie perhaps there’s hope that he might hold the job for a while. 

I’ve been intrigued by Wright since the Vikings signed him following the 2022 NFL Draft. A reason for that intrigue is his quarterbacking past. He was a very productive high school quarterback. That might be a nice skill to have in a punter when it comes to potential fake punts. New special teams coordinator Matt Daniels played for and coached with John Fassel while with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. Fassel thought so highly of his protégé that he brought Daniels with him to the Dallas Cowboys. During their time with the Rams, Fassel occasionally took advantage of the passing talents of punter Johnny Hekker. It’s a thought. 

Wright won the competition with his punting. With the Vikings recent kicking atrocities, his ability and consistency as the team’s holder might be as important as his punting. Berry appeared to have a good thing going with kicker Greg Joseph and long snapper Andrew DePaola. Joseph didn’t miss many kicks during training camp. A couple misses did come with Wright as the holder. Hopefully, the new trio will form an outstanding kicking battery. 

The release of Berry created an opening on the Vikings 80-man roster. That opening was filled when cornerback Tye Smith was re-signed. He had been released last week in the roster cut-down to 85 players. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach/Contributor Finalist

Perhaps the greatest offensive football coach of my youth is finally on the doorsteps of Canton. Former St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers head coach Don Coryell was announced on Wednesday as the coach/contributor finalist for the Pro Football Hall Fame Class of 2023. He’s been close to that gold jacket and bronze bust before but never this close. He faces one more vote early next year from the Hall’s 49 selectors. If he receives 80% of the vote, he’ll be enshrined next August in Canton. Finally. 

Coryell impacted football like few coaches ever have. It’s been more than 35 years since he coached an NFL game. Yet, his impact is felt every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the football season. One-back formations, receiver option routes, moving the tight around the formation, running back screens, pre-snap motions were all innovations credited to Coryell. His innovations changed the game. So did his offensive approach. He attacked the entire field. Former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz has called Coryell “the father of the modern passing game.” John Madden, Joe Gibbs, Ernie Zampese, Jim Hanifan, Rod Dowhower, and Al Saunders are among the coaches that learned directly from him. 

 “Air Coryell”

His offenses in San Diego were ridiculous. High-flying and wide-open, the Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983. They did it again in 1985. It felt like tight end Kellen Winslow was playing a new position. Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Winslow are in Canton. If things go as they should, Coryell will finally join them. 

A championship is probably they only thing that’s kept Coryell out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He took the Chargers to AFC title games in 1980 and 1981. If his team didn’t have to play in frigid Cincinnati a week after suffering from dehydration in Miami, maybe the Chargers are playing the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. 

The coach/contributor process:

The coach/contributor committee considered 12 candidates on Tuesday.

Roone Arledge

Don Coryell

Mike Holmgren

Frank “Bucko” Kilroy

Robert Kraft

Art Modell

Buddy Parker

Dan Reeves

Art Rooney Jr.

Mike Shanahan

Clark Shaugnessy 

John Wooten

The 12 candidates were cut to four:

Don Coryell

Mike Holmgren

Robert Kraft 

John Wooten

I was a little surprised and very impressed that John Wooten made it to the Final Four, let alone the Final 12. I’m at a loss as to how the coach/contributor committee can keep ignoring the Hall of Fame-worthy coaching career of Buddy Parker.

Despite those thoughts, I do believe that the committee got it right with the selection of Don Coryell. My only disappointment is that this honor didn’t happen before his passing in 2010. 

Minnesota Vikings Reduce Roster To 80 Players

The NFL’s second round of roster cuts came yesterday. The Minnesota Vikings had to reduce their roster from 85 to 80 players. The team’s roster reductions actually started on Monday. That’s when the Vikings acquired quarterback Nick Mullens from the Las Vegas Raiders for a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. The addition to the roster forced a corresponding move. The Vikings made two.

Contract Terminated/Vested Vet:

Albert Wilson, WR

Waived/Injured:

Jullian Taylor, DL

Despite having some fine moments, including two touchdowns in the first preseason game, it felt like Albert Wilson was on the wrong side of the receiver numbers game. The Vikings top three receivers are set with Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn. Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Olabisi Johnson are the top contenders for the fourth receiver role. Young receivers Jalen Nailor, Trishton Jackson, and Myron Mitchell were all ahead of Wilson on the depth chart. Releasing Wilson now might give him a shot at catching on with a team in need of veteran receiving depth. 

Jullian Taylor simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy. He hasn’t played in an NFL game since tearing an ACL in 2019. He signed with the Vikings in April but injuries continued to keep him sidelined. He was waived with an injury designation. If he clears waivers, he’ll revert to the Vikings injured reserve. From there, the team can either keep him on injured reserve or release him with an injury settlement. 

Those moves had the Vikings roster sitting a 84 players. The roster was reduced to 80 players yesterday. 

Waived

Shaun Beyer, TE

Harrison Hand, CB

Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform

Ryan Connelly, LB

Blake Proehl, WR

Shaun Beyer was added to the roster just before training camp. With a late start, he was unable to climb the tight end depth chart. 

If there’s been a surprise release through the first two rounds of roster cuts, that would be Harrison Hand. A 2020 fifth-round pick, he has always been on the verge of earning playing time. Last year, he was a prime candidate to break out. If anything, he fell toward the back of the depth chart. He couldn’t sustain a roster climb this training camp. Hand is a talented corner. Releasing him now might give him time to catch on with a new team. His NFL opportunity is still wide open. Maybe a change of scenery will help. 

The Minnesota Vikings roster is now at 80 players. The next round of cuts is the big one. 27 players. The Vikings must cut the roster to 53 players next Tuesday. 

The Vikings Add A Quarterback

After offseason workouts, training camp, and two preseason games, the Minnesota Vikings decided that they might not have what they need at backup quarterback. Without Kirk Cousins and the rest of the starters, the Vikings offense has struggled to find passing consistency in both preseason games. Second-year Kellen Mond followed up a decent performance in the first preseason game with a two-interception performance in the second preseason game. Veteran Sean Mannion has been more plodding than productive. With backup quarterback concerns, the Vikings acquired Nick Mullens from the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday for a conditional 2024 seventh-round draft pick. The addition gives the Vikings an additional option behind Cousins. 

Through training camp and preseason, the Vikings backup quarterback situation gave me a single prevailing thought. I’m real glad that Cousins has been remarkably durable. He’s never hurt. At least, he’s never hurt enough to miss a game. The only thing that’s forced him off the field has been COVID. Imagine that. Just because Cousins has been durable doesn’t mean that the Vikings don’t need a backup quarterback. When COVID forced him to miss the Green Bay Packers game last year, Mannion’s play was terrifying. The loss sealed their playoff fate. A reliable backup quarterback is a serious need. Things happen and the play of Mond and Mannion gave the team little confidence. Mullens will have a couple weeks to show that he can be a reliable backup to Cousins. 

I saw a Vikings pundit mention on social media that the last time the Vikings added a former Southern Mississippi quarterback this late in the process, the team made it to the NFC Championship game. I’ve seen too many seasons end at the NFC Championship game. I’m hoping for a return to the next game. 

The Vikings new “crowded” quarterback room:

Kirk Cousins

Sean Mannion

Kellen Mond

Nick Mullens

In my opinion, the only thing working against Mullens being the Vikings backup this season is his abbreviated time to learn the job. His starting experience greatly exceeds that of Mannion and Mond. Not only does Mullens have starting experience, he has quality starting experience. Most of that experience was with the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan. That’s an offense with similarities to the one that he’s now learning. 

Prior to this move, I felt that Mond was cruising into the backup job. I felt that simply because he was younger than Mannion and has greater potential. The only problem was that Mond hadn’t outplayed Mannion. Perhaps the addition of Mullens pushes Mond. I guess that we’ll see. The opportunity that he had should’ve been motivation enough. If Mullens grabs the backup job, do the Vikings keep a third quarterback on the roster? With the players and needs at other positions (receiver, tight end, linebacker, etc.), I’m not sure that’s possible. Can they get Mond to the practice squad? If he hasn’t “wowed” the Vikings, how could he have “wowed” another team? Then there’s this final question. Is Mond ever going to be the team’s quarterback of the future? My thinking on the Vikings quarterback of the future is that the team’s new decision-makers should pick him. That means Mond isn’t the one. If that’s the case, there’s really no reason to force him onto the roster or practice squad. 

The Vikings sent a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick to the Raiders for Mullens. I’ve seen the condition for the pick being that he as to be active for a game. I’ve also seen mention that he has to play in a game. My guess is that it’s the former. If things go as I expect, the Vikings will be sending the Raiders a seventh-round pick in 2024. 

Top 100 Players of 2022: 50 - 21

The countdown of the Top 100 Players of 2022 continued yesterday with players ranked #50 - 21.

Top 100 Players of 2022: 50 - 21

50. Micah Hyde, S, Buffalo Bills

49. De’Vondre Campbell, LB, Green Bay Packers

48. Robert Quinn, DE, Chicago Bears

47. Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers

46. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers 

45. Jordan Poyer, S, Buffalo Bills

44. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

43. Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers 

42. Cam Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

41. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

40. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers 

39. Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs

38. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals 

37. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals 

36. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens 

35. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers 

34. Kevin Byard, S, Tennessee Titans

33. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns 

32. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens 

31. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

30. Joey Bosa, DE, Los Angeles Chargers

29. Bobby Wagner, LB, Los Angeles Rams

28. Quenton Nelson, OG, Indianapolis Colts

27. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

26. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

25. Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers

24. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

23. Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas Cowboys

22. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

21. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

***

Dalvin Cook at #31 is way too low. Just sayin. 

Speaking of the Vikings, where’s Harrison Smith? And Eric Kendricks? Both are among the best in the league at their respective positions. Kendricks has been incredibly underrated for the entirety of his seven-year career. So, it’s apparently just #99 Kirk Cousins, #31 Cook, and Justin Jefferson representing Minnesota on the player’s list. Jefferson has risen to the Top 20 after only two seasons. That’s not bad for a player that’s just scratching the surface of his great talent. 

The Los Angeles Chargers were popular in this block of players.

Austin Ekeler

Derwin James

Justin Herbert

Keenan Allen

Joey Bosa

With two players (#78 Rashawn Slater and #60 Corey Linsley) among the first fifty reveals, the Chargers have had seven players revealed. So far. The narrator stated that the Chargers have the most players on the list with 8. Is the eighth player Khalil Mack? The Top 20 isn’t foreign territory for Mack but making it after playing only seven games in 2021 is a stretch. It’s the player’s list. Eight Top 100 Players is a remarkable total for a team that didn’t make the playoffs in 2021. 

It was nice of the players to put Buffalo Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the same reveal. 

The 20-block was one for the brothers. The Diggs and Bosa brothers were among the players ranked from 30 - 21. 

Vikings - 49ers: Preseason Game #2

A quick summation of the Minnesota Vikings Preseason Game #2 against the San Francisco 49ers is this:

1) The Vikings second team defense was good and fun in the first half. 

2) The Vikings offense and defense in the second half weren’t good. Special teams too. 

In the preseason, the winner of the first half often feels like the winner of the game. If that’s the case, the Vikings defeated the 49ers by the scintillating score of 7-6. 

With 4:39 remaining in the second quarter, Sean Mannion guided the Vikings offense on a 60-yard touchdown drive. That eight-play sequence was the Vikings offensive highlight of the game. Mannion! It was remarkable to see. He threw some crisp passes. Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Trishton Jackson, and Olabisi Johnson made some nice catches, converted first downs. Ty Chandler finished the drive by bulling the final three yards into the end zone. 

Other than that 60-yard drive for a touchdown, the Vikings offense didn’t do a lot. They certainly didn’t score. Some of it was missed opportunities. Most of it was not creating opportunities. 

QB2: Kellen Mond vs. Sean Mannion?

Kellen Mond was the better quarterback in Preseason Game #1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s tough to say which was the better quarterback in this game. Mannion had the nice touchdown drive. He damn near threw an 85-yard touchdown to Zach Davidson at the start of the fourth quarter. Open up the seam, Mannion put the ball on Davidson’s hands. Drop. That drop was probably the game’s lowlight for the Vikings. It was easily the most disappointing. I was off my couch. Thinking touchdown. It would’ve been a long chase but Davidson had only green turf in front of him. It’s only a preseason game but that drop was brutal. Mond opened the game with a nice drive. Unfortunately, that drive ended with him serving up a 49er interception. Mond closed the game with a nice drive. Unfortunately, that drive ended with him serving up a 49er interception. In both cases, if he’d thrown to his guy, touchdown. It usually works that way. In both cases, Mond had a receiver open. He just had to hit them. Instead, he threw to the wrong guy. It was as if they were fielding a punt. They didn’t even have to work for it. Mond may have done more good things than Mannion but he did two very bad things. I really don’t know what to think about the Vikings QB2 situation. I feel that Mond is the better option but it’s just a feeling. In past preseasons, I felt pretty good when the Vikings got to Kyle Sloter or Taylor Heinicke. Even Jake Browning. I get no good feelings when Mond or Mannion take the field. Even in preseason. On a play last night, Mond had pressure around him. One of the defenders even put a hand on Mond’s shoulder/arm. It wasn’t even a nuisance to him as he rocketed a throw to one of his guys on the sideline. It looked easy. So easy. It was an NFL play. It was the sort of play that starting NFL quarterbacks make. He made that play. I don’t think Mannion makes that play. Just when I feel like Mond has something, he tosses the ball to the defense. He can’t do that in practice. He can’t do that in preseason. He definitely can’t do that in a game that counts. All these feelings. Mond or Mannion? I feel like it’s Mond. But it’s just a feeling. I also feel that Kirk Cousins can not get injured and can not catch COVID (again). 

That first half defense. 

It was fun watching T.Y. McGill, Patrick Jones II, Brian Asamoah, Lewis Cine, Jaylen Twyman, Andrew Booth Jr., etc. racing around the field. This was the Vikings #2 defense. The 49ers #2 offense did nothing against them. The Vikings stopped the 49ers on third downs and fourth downs. The 49ers couldn’t run the ball. Thanks in part to some drops, the 49ers couldn’t pass the ball either. The Vikings defense dominated the first half. The only points scored against the Vikings first half defense were two field goals. One was made possible by a punt return fumble. The recovery set the 49ers up nicely at the Vikings 34-yard line. The 49ers offense only moved the ball three yards closer. The other field goal was a drive in the first half’s final minute that never should’ve gotten past midfield. T.Y. McGill was terrific throughout the game. Patrick Jones II was routinely in the backfield. Asamoah is simply a blast. I’m loving this team’s pass rushing stunts. My goodness, imagine those stunts with Danielle Hunter, Za’Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, Armon Watts, and Harrison Phillips. 

I was a little surprised, maybe a little disappointed, when I saw rookie right guard Ed Ingram starting this game. All the starters, and then some, weren’t playing. I was hoping that Ingram had locked up the starting job. I still think that he has. His starting and playing a half was probably all about getting game snaps against a very good defensive front. He wasn’t as dominant against the 49ers as he was against the Raiders. He missed a block while leading a screen and then was worked by Javon Kinlaw for a sack. Despite those “misses” he still looked the part of a starting right guard. It’s not like Kinlaw’s a slappy fighting for a job. He’s one of the best young defensive tackles in the league. I’ve watched too damn many Vikings offensive linemen look lost, get knocked on their ass, sack their own quarterback. I feel like I’ve become an expert on horrendous offensive line play. Ingram isn’t that. Actually, he’s been the opposite of that. He knows what he’s doing out there and he’s very good at doing it. He’s the Vikings right guard. 

Once Brian Asamoah, Troy Dye, Lewis Cine, Josh Metellus and the rest of the game’s starters that were controlling the middle of the field left the game, the 49ers offense started moving with ease. Whether it was Nate Sudfeld or Brock Purdy under center, the 49ers quarterbacks kept moving the chains with dump-offs to tight ends. For the game, those tight ends caught 11 passes for 110 yards. If it wasn’t for some drops, that total might’ve been closer to 150 yards. 

Vikings catch a second half break. 

The 49ers opened the second half by driving to the Vikings one-yard line. On second-and-goal, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy dropped the ball at the five-yard line. Vikings edge rusher Luiji Vilain scooped it up and returned it to the 19-yard line. It even looked like he could go 95 yards with the ball. Instead, it was 14 yards. The Vikings punted the ball three plays and 90 seconds later. At least the break kept the 49ers out of the end zone. Replays showed that the Vikings shouldn’t have gotten the ball at all. T.Y. McGill was lined up over the center and jumped a beat too soon. McGill’s helmet even appeared to strike the center’s helmet before the ball was snapped. It’s tough to say whether the center-quarterback exchange was disrupted and caused everything that followed. A penalty should’ve been called on McGill and the 49ers should’ve kept the ball. The Vikings caught a break on that one. 

Some Vikings Stars of Preseason Game #2:

1. T.Y. McGill, DT

-1.5 sacks, 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss

McGill was mostly unblockable for much of the game. He was routinely in the backfield and hassling the quarterback. The 49ers only played a few of their projected starters. Two of them were their guards. 

2. Brian Asamoah, LB

Asamoah is so much fun to watch. When he gets “it,” and he will, he’s going to be a nightmare for offenses. Right now, it looks like he’s often reacting to the first thing he sees. When he’s right, he’s a handful for the offense. 

3. Akayleb Evans

-10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss

His tackle of a 49ers running back in the backfield stopped the 49ers on fourth-and-inches. It came four plays after the 49ers intercepted Mond to open the game. It took momentum away from the opponent and gave it to his team. It was a beautifully recognized and executed play by Evans. Andrew Booth Jr. is the rookie cornerback that’s getting most of the attention. I believe that Evans is going to be a significant contributor this year and especially in coming years. 

I wish that I could list some offensive stars of the game. The offense didn’t do much. 195 total yards. Two interceptions. 2/11 on third downs. A lot of the thoughts on the Vikings offensive performance might’ve changed if Zach Davidson makes that catch. That was such a nice looking play until he dropped the ball. 

A few offensive players did make some plays, did some nice things:

Olabisi Johnson

Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

Ty Chandler

Nick Muse

One improvement from Preseason Game #1 was the penalties. The Vikings had seven penalties in the first half against the Raiders. They had two penalties last night. 

Worse than a preseason loss was the ankle injury to Andrew Booth Jr. Hopefully, it’s minor and his return to the field is soon. 

One last observation.

As a resident of the central coast of California, I had the 49ers local broadcast of the game. So, I had to listen to the 49ers announcers. Greg Papa and Tim Ryan. Listening to a game called by the other team’s guys is often infuriating. The Raiders announcers last week were like that. Papa and Ryan weren’t. They clearly favored the 49ers but their favoritism wasn’t sickening. Like the Raiders guys. Papa and Ryan often acknowledged that another team was on the field with their team. Other than saying that Bryant Koback was a seventh-round pick, they were pretty much on-point with their Vikings information. The call of the 49ers duo was a pleasant surprise. 

Minnesota Vikings 85-man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers today in Preseason Game #2. In advance of the big game, here’s the Vikings 85-man roster. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense (41)

Quarterbacks (3)

  8 Kirk Cousins

11 Kellen Mond

14 Sean Mannion

Running Backs (5)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

38 Bryant Koback

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (11)

19 Adam Thielen

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette

81 Olabisi Johnson

83 Jalen Nailor

87 Myron Mitchell

  9 Trishton Jackson

25 Albert Wilson

85 Dan Chisena

13 Blake Proehl

Tight Ends (6)

84 Irv Smith Jr.

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

40 Zach Davidson

34 Nick Muse

49 Sean Beyer

Tackles (6)

71 Christian Darrisaw

75 Brian O’Neill

74 Oli Udoh

64 Blake Brandel

63 Vederian Lowe

61 Timon Parris

Guards (6)

72 Ezra Cleveland

67 Ed Ingram

73 Jesse Davis

62 Chris Reed

52 Wyatt Davis

68 Kyle Hinton

Centers (3)

56 Garrett Bradbury

65 Austin Schlottman

60 Josh Sokol

Defense (40)

Defensive Linemen (10)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

97 Harrison Phillips

98 Armon Watts

92 James Lynch

93 Jaylen Twyman

90 Esezi Otomeow

79 Jonathan Bullard

76 T.Y. McGill

50 T.J. Smith

78 Jullian Taylor

Edge (7)

99 Danielle Hunter

55 Za’Darius Smith

98 D.J. Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones II

95 Janarius Robinson

43 Luiji Vilain

59 Zach McCloud

Linebackers (8)

54 Eric Kendricks

58 Jordan Hicks

33 Brian Asamoah

45 Troy Dye

41 Chazz Suratt

48 Blake Lynch

47 William Kwenkeu

57 Ryan Connelly 

Cornerbacks (9)

  7 Patrick Peterson

  3 Cameron Dantzler

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

39 Chandon Sullivan

29 Kris Boyd

27 Nate Hairston

20 Harrison Hand

35 Parry Nickerson

Safeties (6)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

46 Miles Dorn

37 Mike Brown

Special Teams (4)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punters (2)

16 Jordan Berry

66 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

Another Stab At The Minnesota Vikings Starters

The Minnesota Vikings entered training camp with only a few unsettled positions. Right guard was the most open and most contested position. The team’s first two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft was a safety (Lewis Cine) and a cornerback (Andrew Booth Jr.). That immediately created questions, if not competition, at those positions. Things have been so settled across the front lines that the most interesting competition was/is probably the one for backup quarterback. It’s been easy to project the 2022 starters. After three weeks of practices and a preseason game, it’s even easier.

Offense

QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham
WR	Justin Jefferson
WR	Adam Thielen
TE	Irv Smith Jr.
LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Ed Ingram
RT	Brian O’Neill

When he was selected in the second round, it felt inevitable that Ed Ingram would be the starting right guard for the Vikings. Only modest free agent additions Jesse Davis and Chris Reed stood in his way. Davis got nearly all of the first string snaps in the offseason and during the first couple weeks of training camp. As Davis continued to trot out with the starters most observers started cementing his status as one. Right guard had become Davis’ job to lose. He was sure to lose it. Those observers seemed to ignore that Ingram’s the better, more talented player. All Ingram needed was the extended opportunity to prove it. That opportunity came against the Las Vegas Raiders in Preseason Game #1. He played with the 2s and against Raiders backups. It didn’t matter. Ingram was great. He was dominant. Perhaps it’s due to a decade of disappointing offensive line play but his performance in his first game action was a revelation. It’s been damn near a decade since anyone around the Vikings had seen such potential and performance from an interior offensive lineman’s debut. Ed Ingram is the Vikings right guard moving forward. 

Defense

DE	Dalvin Tomlinson
NT	Harrison Phillips
DE	Armon Watts
OLB	Danielle Hunter
ILB	Eric Kendricks
ILB	Jordan Hicks
OLB	Za’Darius Smith
CB	Patrick Peterson
CB	Cam Dantzler
NB	Chandon Sullivan
S	Harrison Smith
S	Lewis Cine

The Vikings safety situation is interesting. I have rookie Lewis Cine listed here but the position may be more of a trio than a duo. Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Cine. We may be seeing all three on the field often. Cine is so fast and explosive that he should eventually find his way into the base defense. 

As for cornerback, Patrick Peterson and Cam Dantzler feel fairly set as the starters on the outside. Rookie Andrew Booth Jr. is too talented to keep on the bench. Can he play nickel? I hope so. I like a corner trio of Peterson, Dantzler, and Booth better than Peterson, Dantzler, and Chandon Sullivan. 

The Vikings front seven is set. 

Special Teams

K	Greg Joseph
P	Ryan Wright
LS	Andrew DePaola
KR	Kene Nwangwu
PR	Jalen Nailor

Punt returner is the biggest special teams question. I have rookie Jalen Nailor taking it but Ihmir Smith-Marsette is probably holding it now. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Finalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced yesterday that Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko, and Ken Riley are the three senior finalists for the Class of 2023. At a Tuesday meeting of the Hall of Fame’s Senior Committee, the trio emerged from the group of 12 semifinalists. 

Ken Anderson

Maxie Baughan

Randy Gradishar

Chuck Howley

Cecil Isbell

Joe Klecko

Bob Kuechenberg

Eddie Meador

Tommy Nobis

Ken Riley

Sterling Sharpe

Everson Walls

Howard Balzer of Senior Committee revealed that the above 12 were reduced to the following six.

Randy Gradishar

Chuck Howley

Joe Klecko

Bob Kuchenberg 

Ken Riley

Sterling Sharpe

For what it’s worth, of the final 12, my Senior picks came down to Gradishar, Howley, and Sharpe. Of the above six, I felt that the two linebackers, Gradishar and Howley, were the most deserving. Did the Senior Committee decide that they couldn’t have two linebackers? Who knows? I hope not. I’ve always felt that the voters should focus more on including the most deserving players rather than the most deserving at certain positions. If the most deserving players played the same position, so be it. 

Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko, and Ken Riley. I like this little breakdown of the trio by John Turney of Pro Football Journal.

Ken Riley gets gets in on stats, very low on “honors”

Chuck Howley has the most “honors” of the 12, so he gets in on that

Joe Klecko has so-so “honors” but great testimonials by opponents

three different paths to the HOF

Howley, Klecko, and Riley now move to the final step of the election process. Each of their Hall of Fame cases will be considered by the full Selection Committee in January. If they receive 80% approval, they are members of the Pro Football Hall of Class of 2023. 

First Minnesota Vikings Cuts

Yesterday was roster cutdown day across the National Football League. All teams had to remove five players from their roster to reach the 85-man roster limit. It was the first of three cutdown days as teams work their way to a final roster of 53 players. 

August 16: from 90 to 85

August 23: from 85 to 80

August 30: from 80 to 53

A cutdown of five players after a single preseason game (two games for the HOF participants) feels a little pointless and maybe a little cold. Then again, the first few cuts are usually the easiest. 

Anyway, these are the new rules for the brutal ritual of crushing dreams. That might be a little harsh but cutting a player is rough. It’s rough for the coach doing the cutting. It’s even more rough for the player being cut. In my opinion, the league returned to a serious of cutdowns to throw some weekly drama into the “Hard Knocks” series. Some people are strangely taken by this difficult process. 

The Minnesota Vikings made the following transactions to get the roster to 85 players.

Waived:

Jake Bargas, FB

Andre Mintze, OLB

Contract Terminated/Vested Vet:

Tye Smith, CB

Waived/Injured:

Thomas Hennigan, WR

Tyarise Stevenson, DT

Thomas Hennigan and Tyrarise Stevenson were released with injury designations. If they clear waivers, they’ll revert to the team’s injured reserve. They’ll still be with the team. The undrafted rookies may still have a shot in Minnesota. 

With C.J. Ham on the roster, Jake Bargas’ shot was a long one. He’s been on the Vikings practice squad since 2020 but getting past Ham just wasn’t going to happen. 

Adrian Mintze played for the Denver Broncos and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell last season. That connection brought him to Minnesota this offseason. That familiarity was probably his best chance at the roster. It wasn’t enough. 

Tye Smith was on the Vikings practice squad last season and re-signed in the offseason. He was originally a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He spent a little over a year in Seattle and some time on the practice squad in Washington. The bulk of his NFL experience was with the Tennessee Titans. He was with the Titans from 2017-2020.

The Vikings website referred to these first cuts as a “wave of roster cuts.” I don’t think that five cuts can be called a “wave.” 

Top 100 Players of 2022: 100 - 51

For more than a decade, NFL players have voted on the best players in the league. The results of the voting are released during one-hour episodes on NFL Network. Initially, they started revealing the results soon after the draft. It took at least 10 weeks. More recently, they’ve been revealed in larger chunks over a couple weeks during the preseason. No matter when or how the results have been packaged and released, it’s become an annual event. It’s really the only time that the players get to vote on the best of their peers. It’s fun. The most fun is found in the player commentary. It can range from informative to hilarious. 

The first half of the Top 100 Players of 2022 was released on Sunday.

Top 100 Players of 2022

100. Kyle Juszczyk, FB, San Francisco 49ers

  99. Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

  98. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

  97. Leonard Williams, DE, New York Giants

  96. Jimmie Ward, S, San Francisco 49ers

  95. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

  94. Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens

  93. Von Miller, Edge, Buffalo Bills

  92. Tyron Smith, OT, Dallas Cowboys

  91. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

  90. Odell Beckham, WR, free agent

  89. Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans Saints

  88. Jonathan Allen, DE, Washington Commanders

  87. Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns

  86. Shaquil Barrett, Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  85. Mac Jones, QB, New England Patriots

  84. Roquan Smith, LB, Chicago Bears

  83. Wyatt Teller, OG, Cleveland Browns

  82. Kenny Moore, CB, Indianapolis Colts 

  81. Justin Simmons, S, Denver Broncos 

  80. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals 

  79. Rashawn Slater, OT, Los Angeles Chargers 

  78. Trey Hendrickson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals 

  77. Darius Slay, CB, Philadelphia Eagles 

  76. Brian Burns, DE, Carolina Panthers

  75. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

  74. Demario Davis, LB, New Orleans Saints 

  73. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Atlanta Falcons 

  72. Quandre Diggs, S, Seattle Seahawks 

  71. Jason Kelce, C, Philadelphia Eagles 

  70. Tyrann Mathieu, S, New Orleans Saints 

  69. Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints

  68. Zack Martin, OG, Dallas Cowboys 

  67. Budda Baker, S, Arizona  Cardinals 

  66. DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts 

  65. Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders 

  64. Devin White, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

  63. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins 

  62. Chandler Jones, DE, Las Vegas Raiders 

  61. Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos 

  60. Corey Linsley, C, Los Angeles Chargers 

  59. Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders 

  58. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders 

  57. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals 

  56. Xavien Howard, CB, Miami Dolphins 

  55. Joel Bitonio, OG, Cleveland Browns

  54. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans 

  53. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

  52. Matt Judon, LB, New England Patriots 

  51. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints 

***

This is the player’s list. I try to respect that. There’s no way that Mac Jones should be ranked 14 spots ahead of Kirk Cousins. 

Vikings - Raiders: Preseason Game #1

The Minnesota Vikings finally played their first preseason game. It was a loss. 26-20 to the Las Vegas Raiders. With the things that the Vikings didn’t do well it’s a little surprising that the Raiders only won by six. 

Third Downs: terrible

Penalties: terrible

Being on the wrong side of both often leads to a loss. If they’d had a turnover, they would’ve had the troublesome trifecta. Fortunately, the Vikings had no turnovers yesterday. 

Third Downs

The Vikings converted only one of their seven third downs. The only third down that they converted was their last one. They scored a touchdown. Seven third downs is a sad total. By comparison, the Raiders had 17. The Vikings had so few third-down attempts because they couldn’t convert third downs. If you don’t move the chains, you don’t keep the ball. It’s football made simple. Move the chains. The Vikings couldn’t do it on third down yesterday. 

Penalties 

The Vikings had eight penalties. The flags started flying on the opening kickoff. A 50-yard return by Ihmir Smith-Marsette was wiped out by a holding call. There were six more penalties in the first half. Andrew Booth Jr. had two on a single play. Both were enforced. Every time the Raiders needed a little help a Vikings penalty supplied it. Factoring in the 50-yard kick return that was erased, the Vikings cost themselves about 115 first half yards. Things got better in the second half. The Vikings were penalized once. It was a stupid penalty. It was a costly, stupid penalty. It was a costly, stupid penalty that gifted the Raiders the ball. The defense forced a three-and-out. They forced a punt. 12 men on the field for the punt gave the Raiders a first down. The defense should’ve been off the field. The offense should’ve had the ball. Instead, a mind-numbing penalty handed the Raiders the ball. That extended possession handed the Raiders a touchdown. The Vikings gifted the Raiders a touchdown in a game decided by six points. 

I hate seeing field goals of 20 and 23 yards. Offensively, the Vikings stopped stopping themselves in the second quarter. At the start of the quarter, they drove to the Raiders 1-yard line. Couldn’t score a touchdown. 20-yard field goal. On their next possession, they drove to the Raiders 5-yard line. Couldn’t score a touchdown. 23-yard field goal. The Vikings must score touchdowns when they have these great opportunities to do so. In a game decided by six points, the Vikings left eight potential points on the field. 

It was a single-score game so the Vikings had to do some good things. Right? There actually was a few good things.

1) Running backs 

Kene Nwangwu and Ty Chandler ran well. 

Ty Chandler: 5 carries, 50 yards

Kene Nwangwu: 7 carries, 41 yards

Chandler also had a 56-yard kick return.

The Vikings have a terrific running back group. 

2) Receivers 

With Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen firmly planted on the sideline, all of the Vikings receivers made plays. They made plays even with Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond throwing to them.

At the start of training camp, I had Jefferson, Thielen, K.J. Osborn, Ihmir Smith-Marsette as roster locks. That’s probably still the case. It’s a wide-open competition for the final roster spots. I initially thought that the Vikings might only keep five receivers. Right now, I want to keep 10. Albert Wilson scored both touchdowns. Myron Mitchell, Trishton Jackson, Jalen Nailor, and Dan Chisena made plays. Olabisi Johnson had no catches but he never really had an opportunity to do so. He had three targets but Mannion couldn’t get the ball to him. The receiver roster decisions are going to be difficult and painful. 

3) Defensive rookies Lewis Cine and Brian Asamoah. 

I liked what I saw from both. Especially Asamoah. I was very disappointed when each ended their day. 

4) Ed Ingram

The rookie guard came in with the second team offensive line. He was dominant. I hope that it’s the last time we see him with the second team. 

5) Kellen Mond

He still seems slow in seeing all that’s in front of him. His throw into the end zone after scrambling for about a mile was terrible. It looked like he had two players open. He threw between them. Not even close to either. As the game went on, it felt and looked like he got more comfortable. He looked much more comfortable in the fourth quarter than he did in the second quarter. His two touchdown throws to Wilson were terrific. The first was a dart into a small window. The second showed excellent touch. 

For what it’s worth, I have Mond leading Sean Mannion by a wide margin in the race for QB2. 

***

Vikings Preseason Game #1 is in the books. The first game of the Kevin O’Connell era is in the books. A 26-20 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. 

The Vikings welcome the San Francisco 49ers to Minnesota for a few practices this week. And Preseason Game #2 on Saturday. 

Minnesota Vikings 90-man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings will be the last team to kick off their preseason when they play the Las Vegas Raiders today. In advance of the big game, here’s the Vikings 90-man roster. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense (43)

Quarterbacks (3)

  8 Kirk Cousins

11 Kellen Mond

14 Sean Mannion

Running Backs (5)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

38 Bryant Koback

Fullbacks (2)

30 C.J. Ham

36 Jake Bargas

Receivers (12)

19 Adam Thielen

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette

25 Albert Wilson

85 Dan Chisena

81 Olabisi Johnson

83 Jalen Nailor

13 Blake Proehl

87 Myron Mitchell

  9 Trishton Jackson

89 Thomas Hennigan

Tight Ends (6)

84 Irv Smith Jr.

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

40 Zach Davidson

34 Nick Muse

49 Sean Beyer

Tackles (6)

71 Christian Darrisaw

75 Brian O’Neill

74 Oli Udoh

64 Blake Brandel

63 Vederian Lowe

61 Timon Parris

Guards (7)

72 Ezra Cleveland

73 Jesse Davis

62 Chris Reed

52 Wyatt Davis

67 Ed Ingram

68 Kyle Hinton

65 Austin Schlottman

Centers (2)

56 Garrett Bradbury

60 Josh Sokol

Defense (43)

Defensive Linemen (11)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

97 Harrison Phillips

98 Armon Watts

92 James Lynch

93 Jaylen Twyman

78 Jullian Taylor

90 Esezi Otomeow

79 Jonathan Bullard

76 T.Y. McGill

50 T.J. Smith

51 Tyarise Stevenson

Edge (9)

99 Danielle Hunter

55 Za’Darius Smith

98 D.J. Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones II

95 Janarius Robinson

43 Luiji Vilain

59 Zach McCloud

47 William Kwenkeu

31 Adrian Mintze

Linebackers (7)

54 Eric Kendricks

58 Jordan Hicks

33 Brian Asamoah

41 Chazz Suratt

48 Blake Lynch

45 Troy Dye

57 Ryan Connelly 

Cornerbacks (10)

  7 Patrick Peterson

  3 Cameron Dantzler

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

39 Chandon Sullivan

29 Kris Boyd

27 Nate Hairston

20 Harrison Hand

  5 Tye Smith

35 Parry Nickerson

Safeties (6)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

46 Miles Dorn

37 Mike Brown

Special Teams (4)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punters (2)

16 Jordan Berry

66 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

Next To Smith

According to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has had 10 different safeties start next to him. I decided to track those 10 safeties down. 

Next to Smith:

1.   Mistral Raymond (3 starts)

2.   Jamarca Sanford (18)

3.   Andrew Sendejo (46)

4.   Robert Blanton (15)

5.   Antone Exum (1)

6.   Jayron Kearse (2)

7.   Anthony Harris (43)

8.   George Iloka (2)

9.   Xavier Woods (15)

10. Camryn Bynum (1)

On two occasions, Mike Zimmer started two safeties next to Harrison Smith. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse joined Smith in the starting lineup. After a couple productive starts in place of Smith, Camryn Bynum joined Smith and Xavier Woods in the starting lineup in last season’s first Green Bay Packers game. 

For nearly all of the 2000s, I hoped that the Vikings could find a star safety. It was arguably the one weakness of the 2009 defense. They finally found that safety in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Harrison Smith. I was a huge fan of the pick. He was a star from the start and quickly became a fan favorite. Being greedy I guess, I’ve spent the past decade hoping that the Vikings could find an excellent safety to pair with Smith. Perhaps because of the player that they had, the Vikings didn’t see the need to spend high-end draft picks or significant free agency dollars to add that safety.

Mistral Raymond - 2011 6th round pick

Jamarca Sanford - 2009 7th round pick

Andrew Sendejo - undrafted/Sacramento Mountain Lions/cup of coffee with Cowboys and Jets

Robert Blanton - 2012 5th round pick

Antone Exum - 2014 6th round pick

Jayron Kearse - 2016 7th round pick

Anthony Harris - undrafted

George Iloka - free agent (originally a 2012 5th round pick by the Bengals)

Xavier Woods - free agent ( originally a 6th round pick of the Cowboys)

Camryn Bynum - 4th round pick

For what they spent to get them, the Vikings didn’t do too bad with the safeties they added and developed. Andrew Sendejo and Anthony Harris were solid, and at times very good, safety partners. With Smith on the field, good was usually good enough. Sendejo and Harris each had nearly four-year runs as starters. 

Some thoughts on each of the ten:

Mistral Raymond - I never really knew what to think of Raymond. 

Jamarca Sanford - Smith always spoke highly of Sanford. 

Andrew Sendejo - He was a good football player but every time the play came to him I feared a 15-yard penalty.

Robert Blanton - My only real thought on Blanton was that it was fun that he was Smith’s teammate from Notre Dame.

Antone Exum - Despite being picked in the 6th round, I had high hopes for Exum. He had the talent but he never emerged as the player I expected. 

Jayron Kearse - His height (6’4”) was intriguing. I hoped that he’d be the next George Iloka.

Anthony Harris - Of the players put next to Smith, he was the best. 

George Iloka - It would’ve been great if the Vikings were able to add Iloka about two years earlier than they did.

Xavier Woods - When Camryn Bynum was drafted, I knew that Woods’ stay in Minnesota was going to be  short. Woods was very good for that year. 

Camryn Bynum - He was terrific at Cal and I was thrilled with his selection in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has a bright future in Minnesota. 

Andrew Krammer brought up the number of safeties that have played next to Smith because of first round pick Lewis Cine. As much as I like Bynum, I expect the rookie to be the 11th safety to start next to Smith. Cine is simply too talented. It’d be criminal to not have him on the field. With Smith at 33, Bynum and Cine are the Vikings safety future. For now, the trio are the best safeties that the Vikings have had in a long time. They are so good that the coaches are going to find ways to get all three on the field at the same time. I can’t wait to see it.