9 Reactions to Titans/Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings fell in their second preseason game of the 2023 season, losing to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 24-16.
While the loss may mark Minnesota’s ninth straight losing effort in preseason play, there was plenty to take away from the game. Here are 9 reactions from the latest Vikings preseason action.
No Ed Ingram
Ed Ingram did not have the strongest showing in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, but he was not given an opportunity to get another go this weekend. The 2022 second-round pick did not play at all against the Titans on Saturday despite being a practice participant throughout the week. Perhaps this is an indication that the team wasn’t overly concerned with how the Seahawks game went.
RB Aaron Dykes Immediately Gets Playing Time
A little over 48 hours before kickoff on Saturday, the Vikings made the decision to sign another running back in Aaron Dykes. Usually, it takes a week to get a new signing onto the field, but Dykes took snaps immediately for the Vikings. He started the game as the kick returner, and he even got three carries that went for 19 yards.
A Rough Showing from Oli Udoh
With Blake Brandel evidently making the switch over to guard this season, the Vikings are hoping that Vederian Lowe and Oli Udoh can hold down the fort at the backup tackle spots. However, Saturday was a rough night at the office for Udoh, who allowed multiple sacks on the evening and was penalized twice.
The Titans Dominated the Running Game
Behind the powers of rookie Tyjae Spears and mobile QB Malik Willis, the Tennessee Titans were able to run all over the Vikings defense this weekend. They totaled 282 yards on the ground (out of a total 353 yards of offense), and Spears broke off a 33-yard TD run in the process. Meanwhile, Willis racked up 91 rushing yards and Julius Chestnut led the way with 98 yards on the ground.
Lewis Cine Progress
Many Vikings fans have been hoping to see more of Lewis Cine this season after the first-round pick played just two defensive snaps during the 2022 season before a leg fracture ended his rookie season. Well, we saw a whole lot of Cine this weekend as the safety played almost the entire game on defense. He led the team in tackles with 7, including a tackle for loss and a sack. This was a strong showing from Cine, and it should provide optimism moving forward.
Jaren Hall Looked More Comfortable
Jaren Hall’s preseason opener against the Seahawks was a bit of a mixed bag, but he looked much better in his second game. He completed 4 of his 7 passes for 49 yards, and he very easily could have had another completion or two had Blake Proehl not failed to haul in both of his targets. Hall led the Vikings only touchdown drive of the night, and it was capped off by a 1-yard TD run by DeWayne McBride.
Ivan Pace Continues His Dominance
LB Ivan Pace has been one of the fast-rising youngsters on the Vikings roster. He once again got the start on Saturday evening, donning the green dot as the man relaying plays to the defense. Pace’s showing this week was a bit more quiet than it was last week when he led the team in tackles, but he had a pair of tackles against the Titans, and he got a QB hit on Malik Willis. The linebacker continues to show that he can contribute at the NFL level.
Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans Sit Out
After both Mekhi Blackmon and Akayleb Evans left Thursday’s practice session with seemingly minor injuries, it remained unclear if either would play on Saturday. As it turned out, neither would appear in Saturday’s game while Andrew Booth and Joejuan Williams got the starts at CB. Evans did warm up prior to the game, so at the very least, it seems that his absence was more precautionary than anything else.
Another NaJee Thompson Highlight
CB NaJee Thompson burst onto the Vikings scene in Week 1 of the preseason, recording a pair of impressive stops as the team’s punt gunner, The human highlight reel put together yet another play on special teams this week, stopping Titans returner Kyle Phillips in his tracks on a punt return during the first quarter. Thompson appears to be on the fast track towards making the Vikings final 53-man roster if he can keep up this impact on the special teams.
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.