The Vikings sat the top half of their roster. No starters. The Titans gave their starters the first quarter-+. At the end of the first quarter, it was 3-0 Vikings. After that the Titans appeared to be touched by a deity.
A few of the Titans breaks:
On 3rd-and-10 with about five minutes remaining in the first half, Titans quarterback Brandon Allen threw short to Van Jefferson. Zemaiah Vaughn simply had to tackle Jefferson. At least, shove him out of bounds. Instead, Vaughn loses his footing, and Jefferson scoots 65 yards for a touchdown. What should’ve been a Titans punt was instead a Titans touchdown.
The officials ended two Vikings scoring opportunities with missed calls. From the Titans 12-yard line, Vikings quarterback Brett Rypien was hit and popped in the head by former Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch as he was throwing. Instead of a penalty, it was an interception. Early in the third quarter from the Titans 37-yard line, Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer threw to Robert Lewis in the red zone. Titans defensive back Marcus Harris clearly grabbed Lewis. A flag was thrown but then picked up for some mysterious reason. Replays showed an obvious hold.
Titans kicker Joey Slye kicked three field goals. The first was from 63 yards. The third was from 53 yards. The 63-yarder must have taken something out of him as the 53-yarder doinked off an upright, doinked off the crossbar, and fluttered through for three points.
It felt like the game was decided after the two missed calls by the officials.
Despite the 10-point margin, it was a competitive game throughout. If Slye hadn’t gotten the best of that double-doink, the Vikings are playing for a tie on their final possession. Instead, they drained the final 1:49. The #2s, #3s, and #4s played well and the first quarter was played against the Titans #1s.
Preseason Game #3 Standouts:
-Undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer continues to impress. While he hasn’t performed consistently in practices and preseason games, I’m fine with Sam Howell as QB2. The Vikings need an experienced #2. However, I’ve seen enough to believe that Brosmer might be the second best quarterback on the roster. I’ve seen drafted rookies not look as calm and capable as Brosmer has looked in each of the three preseason games. He plays like he belongs in the NFL.
-Running back Zavier Scott ran well again but left the game with an ankle injury.
-Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Elijah Williams impressed. Again. Including kick coverage! How often is a defensive tackle involved on kick coverage? His night ended with a hamstring issue.
Hopefully, both injuries are minor. Less than minor.
-Undrafted rookie linebacker Chazz Chambliss has shown up in every game. I hope that he makes it to the practice squad. He has an NFL future.
-Third-year safety Jay Ward will be on the roster. He’s a versatile football player. He played all over the defensive backfield at LSU. I believe that the Vikings experimented with him at corner last year. It’s preseason but from what I’ve seen, Ward looks like a player that needs some time on defense. With Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, and Theo Jackson, Ward is a little buried at safety. If Jeff Okudah stumbles, could Ward be the Vikings third corner?
The Vikings finished the preseason at 1-2. The most difficult part of the team-building process is next. In the coming days, nearly 40 players will be receiving disappointing news. So many of those players are deserving of a place on an NFL roster. I wish that it could be the Vikings.
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