5 Storylines to Keep an Eye on for Cardinals-Vikings
On Saturday at 12 PM, the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings will face off in the final preseason game of the summer.
This game could help determine many of the final roster spots for both teams, so here are 5 storylines to keep an eye on ahead of this exhibition game.
How Does Jaren Hall Do with an Increased Workload?
We’re making a bit of an assumption here off the jump. The Jordan Ta’amu signing likely signals that Nick Mullens won’t play much if at all his afternoon. Thus, Jaren Hall should get plenty of snaps in this final preseason game.
We saw a much more poised Hall in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, so hopefully, getting him some time with the starting offense leads to an even better showing in Week 3. Regardless, expect Hall’s roster spot to be safe heading into the regular season.
Can the Defense Slow Down Clayton Tune?
The defense had some trouble stopping Malik Willis last weekend, especially when he opted to use his legs to create plays. The Titans QB finished the game with 91 rushing yards against the Vikings defense, and this week, they should see plenty of another mobile QB in Clayton Tune.
The Cardinals didn’t put up too many points against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, but Tune led an impressive two-minute drill at the end of the first half to score Arizona’s only touchdown of the game. He threw for 133 yards and added another 35 rushing yards during the game. With Tune trying to usurp Colt McCoy as Arizona’s QB1 heading into the regular season, this could be an important game for him.
Does DeWayne McBride Show Enough to Earn a Roster Spot?
DeWayne McBride scored a touchdown during the Vikings second preseason game against the Titans. Outside of that, though, the Vikings rookie running back hasn’t shown a ton in terms of production. McBride has totaled 12 carries to this point in the preseason for just 33 yards, averaging fewer than three yards per carry.
With the Vikings already signing Aaron Dykes to add competition and making multiple other RB visits throughout training camp, McBride needs a big game this weekend to secure a spot on the roster.
Arizona’s Young Pass Rushers vs. Minnesota’s O-Line
In each of the past three NFL Drafts, the Arizona Cardinals have spent high-end draft capital to bring in pass-rushing talent. We haven’t seen either of Myjai Sanders or B.J. Ojulari to this point in the preseason, but this team has plenty of young pass-rushing talent to throw at the Vikings o-line.
To this point, the pass protection hasn’t offered much for either Mullens or Hall during the games, especially on the interior, so this is one final chance for the offensive linemen to put together a strong game.
Who Shows Out Among the Wide Receivers?
Jalen Nailor returned to practice this week for the first time since the opening session of training camp. However, it is unknown if the second-year receiver will play in this final preseason game.
Even if Nailor is out for this weekend, the Vikings have at least three receivers (Jalen Reagor, Brandon Powell, and Trishton Jackson) battling for the final roster spots ahead of Tuesday’s cutdown date. This is the final chance for any of them to pull away from the pack.
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.
