A Few Winners from the Vikings First Preseason Game
Josh Frey
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There wasn’t a ton to cheer about during the preseason opener for the Minnesota Vikings. With the game being a 33-6 rout, and Denver seemingly having the upper hand throughout, the matchup got very ugly, very fast. However, there are still positive takeaways to be had, and players stepped up to have solid performances.
Ameer Abdullah/A.J. Rose
The tandem of Abdullah and Rose showed some very positive signs out of the backfield on Saturday. Abdullah showed some versatility with five carries and two receptions while also returning a punt. Rose bore most of the load in the run game, totaling 25 carries for 100 yards.
A very clean day for the RB duo, and it should be very promising to see this much depth at the position. This depth is especially apparent when you consider that Kene Nwangwu has yet to truly enter the mix. Nwangwu returned the opening kickoff, and then left the game with a knee injury.
K.J. Osborn
Many people found it surprising that Osborn was listed as WR3 on the Minnesota Vikings first unofficial depth chart. I was certainly one of them. The former fifth-round pick didn’t record a single reception during his rookie year, and he showed some struggles in the return game.
That said, Osborn was impressive in this preseason opener. He caught both of his targets for 15 yards and returned two kickoffs, one of which he returned for 31 yards. On a day where Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a couple bad drops (catching just two of his six targets), this was a pleasant surprise from Osborn.
Patrick Jones
When the Vikings selected Jones in the third round, I got very excited. When he was at Pittsburgh, he was a menace to opposing QBs off the edge. He led the entire ACC in sacks during 2020, racking up nine in 11 games. He also had 12.5 TFLs for good measure.
The rookie didn’t get an official tackle on Saturday, but he showed plenty of the explosiveness that was touted coming out of college. One such play happened with 12 minutes left in the third quarter. Jones burst through Denver’s offensive line almost immediately, got his hands on Levante Bellamy, and Josh Metellus finished the job. For a defensive line that will probably play by committee, this is a great sign from Jones.
Kris Boyd
Amidst a disappointing display from the Vikings secondary, Kris Boyd had a very solid day. Boyd specifically saw most of his time guarding Jerry Jeudy, and he more than held up. During the Broncos opening red zone drive, Boyd forced a penalty as he went to wrap up a ball carrier, and then he got a pass breakup in the end zone on fourth down. Jeudy was not allowed to run free other than one 33-yard reception, and Boyd did a nice job covering multiple routes.
Greg Joseph
One of the things that we have to pay attention to in this preseason is the kicker battle. Greg Joseph handled the duties on Saturday, and while he didn’t have to prove too much, he did what was expected. He had two kickoffs that went smoothly, and he hit both field goal attempts from 31 and 25 yards. Joseph had a solid training camp, and that success has translated to an actual game. A good sign as the Vikings try to find their replacement for Dan Bailey.