The 4 now-or-never storylines for the Vikings’ final preseason game
The Minnesota Vikings travel to Pennsylvania on Saturday for a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the last friendly of the year for both clubs.
The 4 now-or-never storylines for the Vikings’ final preseason game
The Vikings will likely rest all of their regular players and even some of their substitutes.
And to prepare you for the event, here are the four now-or-never items the Vikings should keep an eye on, ordered by ascending importance (No. 1 = most important).
4. Will the majesty of the UDFA remain?
Last weekend, Dwight McGlothern, Malik Knowles, Bo Richter, Trishton Jackson and other undrafted free agents put in an outstanding performance in a win over the Cleveland Browns. In fact, it was The show of undrafted free agents.
With the final preseason game in Philadelphia, head coach Kevin O’Connell may rest players who are certain to make the 53-man roster, giving the UDFAs another chance to shine. Will they do it?
3. Jaren Hall or Matt Corral as QB3 in 2024?
Jaren Hall is likely the QB3 because this front office and coaching staff drafted him 16 months ago. However, there is still a chance that Matt Corral steals the job from him. Corral is also over a year younger as reverb.
The duo should share playing time on Saturday, and while it won’t necessarily be a “best of the bunch” affair, an outstanding performance from either of them could be the deciding factor.
2. The bottom of the WR depth chart
These are currently the wide receivers of the purple team:
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Jalen Nailor
WR4: Brandon Powell
WR5: Trishton Jackson
WR6: Trent Sherfield
WR7: Jeshaun Jones
WR8: Lucky Jackson
WR9: Thayer Thomas
WR10: Malik Knowles
WR11: Justin Hall
The preseason game should feature the weakest eight players, so pay attention to the key players. The team will most likely keep five or six WRs.
1. Lewis Cine in general
That’s it for Cine. One of these three outcomes will occur:
- He will be included in the 53-man squad
- A trade awaits
- Cine will be released and join another team
He played great last weekend and fans want a sequel. That’s probably the main reason to watch the preseason – Cine himself.
It’s also worth noting that the Vikings had six safeties on the roster last year, so keep that in mind for context.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel. VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis and opinions on all things purple team related, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Viking obsession dates back to 1996. Listed secret passions: Peanut butter ice cream, “The Sopranos,” Basset Hounds and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information from OverTheCap.com.
