Game Recap: Minnesota Vikings Start Awful, Mond Shows Some Promise
K. Joudry
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Before the game began, the Minnesota Vikings announced that 31 of their players wouldn’t play, Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Danielle Hunter, and Patrick Peterson foremost among them. As a result, Jake Browning got the start under center while several other depth players similarly received the chance to play. Denver won 33-6.
For young players like Browning – who was an UDFA two years ago – it’s imperative to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves. Unfortunately, Browning looked overwhelmed in Minnesota’s first preseason game. He played into the second quarter, accumulating a mere 31 yards and an interception. He was 5/10 on his passes. His passes lacked zip and he struggled to read the defense.
Kellen Mond, thankfully, looked better. His passes were noticeably crisper, and he was more decisive. It’s easy to see that Mond is a more gifted QB. What remains to be determined is who will end up winning the backup QB job. He finished 6/16 for 53 passing yards. Mond also had five runs for 25 yards.
One positive was K.J. Osborn, who made a couple catches in his limited opportunity. He looked confident and crisp. Otherwise, the most notable part of the offense was 5th-string RB Asim Rose, who looked strong when running the ball. He finished the game with 25 carries, 100 rushing yards, and 18 receiving yards (which led all Vikings receivers). He is someone to keep an eye on in Game #2 of the preseason.
On defense, it was notable that Stephen Weatherly and Cameron Dantzler started. Dantzler got burned for a long TD that was a combination of his poor coverage and rookie safety Camryn Bynum’s poor position. It was a tough game for the sophomore corner. Armon Watts and D.J. Wonnum also struggled.
Kris Boyd had some nice plays on defense. He had some tight coverage on Jerry Jeudy, and he was physical in run defense. I’ve long been a fan of his. He should be kept as secondary depth and for his special teams contributions. Rookie defensive ends Janarius Robinson and Patrick Jones II looked strong toward the end of the game.
Unfortunately, the trimmed Minnesota Vikings roster meant that we didn’t get the chance to see Oli Udoh at guard. The upside is that it may suggest his roster spot is more secure than Dakota Dozier’s or Dru Samia’s.
Folks, this was merely one preseason game, and it was one that involved our 2s going against many of their 1s. There’s no reason to overreact and participate in the “Here-We-Go-Again” Vikings fandom. Denver dominated the game, but that’s to be expected given the circumstances. Should it have been as awful as it was? By no means, but we still shouldn’t overreact. Our Vikes will be fine.
It’s also worth keeping in mind – as Courtney Cronin tweeted before the game – that Minnesota needs to get from 90 players down to 85 by August 17th. In other words, fringe players who didn’t show the coaching staff something today could be looking for work sooner rather than later.
Minnesota’s next preseason game is Saturday, August 21 against the Colts.