3 Key Storylines for Titans/Vikings
The Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings will square off in each team’s second preseason game of the summer on Saturday evening.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM inside U.S. Bank Stadium, and both sides have some intriguing battles that will impact their final 53-man rosters. Here is a look at three of the key storylines for both teams heading into tonight’s game.
The QB Situations on Both Sides
The Titans drafted Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, just 12 months after selecting Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. This has created an interesting battle for QB2, not to mention, they also have Ryan Tannehill on the roster entering his age-35 season.
As a result of this latest QB selection, some folks have believed that the Vikings could try and swing a trade to bring Willis into their own roster. However, Minnesota has a young QB of their own to take account for in fifth-round pick Jaren Hall.
Hall completed just 6-of-14 passes for 37 yards during his first preseason showing, but he has a lot of promise as a prospect. While the Vikings may be taking a glance at Willis tonight, they should remain focused on developing Hall to potentially be their QB of the future.
Will the Defenses Reign Supreme?
Over the two joint practices between the Titans and Vikings, the defenses tended to gain the edge over the offenses. On Thursday, the Vikings were able to manage touchdowns on their two-minute drills, but Jeffrey Simmons and Denico Autry caused major problems for the interior offensive line of the Vikings.
Meanwhile, the Vikings defense has been flying all over the field throughout training camp. Undrafted linebacker Ivan Pace has quickly earned his stripes in Minnesota’s defense, and Marcus Davenport has been utilized all over the defensive line to this point.
Both sides have a number of defenders hoping to make an impact for their teams tonight, so it should be an intriguing battle for each team.
Young Secondaries for Each Team
Vikings fans have heard plenty of about how young and inexperienced Minnesota’s secondary is heading into the 2023 season. It is a main reason why many folks do not believe that the team will be able to replicate their 13-4 record from a season ago.
However, things may have gotten a bit more interesting ahead of tonight’s preseason game. Both Mekhi Blackmon and Akayleb Evans left Thursday’s practice session with injuries, and while neither appear to be serious, it remains to be seen if either will play in tonight’s game. This could open an opportunity for other cornerbacks lower on the depth chart like Andrew Booth, Joejuan Williams, or Tay Gowan.
As for Tennessee, they did not use any draft picks on their defense in 2023, but their 2021 and 2022 Draft classes had some intriguing defenders in the group. Roger McCreary is hoping to take a leap forward in his second NFL season. It will be interesting to see how the young secondaries do against talented receiver groups.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.