Vikings’ Preseason Kickoff Produced 6 Winners
The final score was 20-10 for the Minnesota Vikings over the Houston Texans in the first preseason matchup for Kevin O’Connell’s operation. All eyes were on J.J. McCarthy, who played a solid game. He missed a pass, but was comfortable leading the offense on a scoring drive.
Vikings’ Preseason Kickoff Produced 6 Winners
Other players, however, stole the show. Here are six of them.
1. Zavier Scott
Entering training camp, it was a fair thought to expect the running backs to be set with Aaron Jones returning for year two, Jordan Mason arriving via trade, and with RB3 Ty Chandler still in the mix. If someone were to challenge Chandler, it would surely be undrafted rookie Tre Stewart, not the guy who was on last year’s practice squad.
Well, wrong. Zavier Scott, a third-year runner out of Maine, was a monster on the ground, giving the Texans some serious problems. He’s a big body at 6’1″ and 219 lbs, automatically making him hard to tackle. In addition to that, Scott is a converted receiver, and his pass-catching skills have turned some heads in training camp.
In his Vikings preseason debut, Scott delivered a stat line of seven runs for 40 yards. He added one catch for 11 yards and gained a ton of fans.
2. Gabriel Murphy
For second-year player Gabriel Murphy, the preseason opener was his preseason debut, too. After drawing praise in last year’s camp, Murphy missed the preseason and most of the regular season due to injury.
On Saturday, he put his skills on full display, collecting 1.5 sacks and three tackles (one for loss). He possesses the juice to make some noise in the NFL and was nearly unblockable, granted, he starred mostly against Houston’s backups.
Regardless, in the race for the fourth OLB spot behind Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, Murphy surely made the first statement.
3. Lucky Jackson
Lucky Jackson is another depth player who showed that the Vikings can rely on him. The speedy wideout has moved up the depth chart all offseason, and he is now truly the favorite to be the fourth man in that group. With Jordan Addison earning his suspension and Justin Jefferson currently not practicing, there will be plenty of opportunities for the 28-year-old.
On Saturday, Jackson was a frequent target of the starting quarterback McCarthy, which certainly helps his case, and he caught three passes for 30 yards.
4. Sam Howell
There have been some serious rumblings coming out of Eagan, MN, that the Vikings should or could trade for a different backup quarterback because Sam Howell doesn’t look encouraging in camp.
In his Vikings debut, he was fantastic, operating the offense with poise and a calmness typically reserved for experienced veterans. Howell, who has started 18 games in his professional career, completed 11 of 13 attempts for 105 yards, and he was successful when he attempted a QB sneak at the goalline.
That version of Howell is a decent backup.
5. Max Brosmer
When Howell’s day was over, the Vikings turned to Brett Rypien, and the offense began to stall. Once Rypien was benched, O’Connell inserted Max Brosmer, the undrafted rookie who quarterbacked the Golden Gophers’ offense last year.
Brosmer was sharp. His statistics don’t really show it, as he gained only 47 yards on five of eight completions, but his ball placement, the timing, and both arm strength and touch were on point.
The passer might have a chance to unseat Rypien for the QB3 job, and he deserves some extra reps in training camp.
6. Kahlef Hailassie
Brosmer drove the offensive success in the fourth quarter, and defensive back Kahlef Hailassie led the defense. Hailassie played cornerback at Oregon, then transferred to Western Kentucky, where he played cornerback. The Browns had him on the roster for two seasons as a cornerback, and the Vikings worked with him at cornerback.
Well, the team moved him to safety for Saturday’s game, and the result was not only one but two interceptions. He has cornerback coverage skills and the requisite speed of a corner. If he can include the instincts and the physicality of a safety, the Vikings might have found a hidden gem.
Editor’s Note: Information from ESPN, PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.