Who cares about preseason wins anyway? Not the Vikings, as their winless preseason streak grows, so does our knowledge of how this new team will look on September 11th against the Packers at home. So let’s dive into the good, bad, and ugly moments from Minnesota’s preseason.
The Good
Brian Asamoah
Roll out the purple carpet for Mr. Mankato 2022! Though he won’t get a trophy for his performance, he certainly deserves one for the fantastic preseason he had. Showing his ability in games to hit hard and strike quickly, Asamoah looked too good to not see a lot of game time in the upcoming season. Though he will be behind starters Eric Kendricks and/or Jordan Hicks, his unorthodox size matched with his elite athleticism will be hard to keep off the field.
MR. MANKATO: Minnesota #Vikings rookie LB Brian Asamoah is your 2022 Mr. Mankato winner! #SKOL
Note: Player MUST be a 3rd round draft pick or later or UDFA.
Player must not be an “established NFL player” pic.twitter.com/Gnfw5SXl1n
— SKOR North – Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) August 29, 2022
Ed Ingram
The LSU standout selected in the second round of the draft has been nothing short of impressive. Granted the depth of right guard is non-existent, few would’ve predicted such an immediate ascension from him. But his talent is undeniable and he needs to be the week 1 starter barring an unforeseen injury.
Ty Chandler
As great as it is to be rewarded with a stud running back in the back half of the draft, Chandler’s success may come at a cost. Not necessarily a steep one, as the RB room is loaded, but Alexander Mattison may very well be on the outside looking in. Chandler’s quick moves and ability to shake off tacklers was surprising in the best way, and in the Vikings’ final game, he even looked better than fellow backup Kene Nwangwu. (Don’t worry Nwangwu faithful, the explosive returner seems to be main kick returner for the team still).
Greg Joseph and Ryan Wright
When news of Jordan Berry’s release hit Twitter, many questioned whether the chemistry between kicker and holder would be strong enough, but after Joseph’s freak 58 yard kick went through the uprights it was clear the Vikings made the right choice. And after Wright got a 69 yard punt within the five yard line? Oh yeah, the special teams unit has never looked stronger!
Just got home from the Colts game.. turned on the Vikings/Broncos game and first play I seent I saw this stallion..
This is a punter and this is awesome.
Just SMOKED a ball in mile high. pic.twitter.com/m4sUEELip1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 28, 2022
The Bad
Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion
Oh no. If the younger, more athletic quarterback can’t out play the old, coach-like veteran… you may need a new number two. Vikings brass agreed, and now Nick Mullens is the backup behind Kirk Cousins. So where does this leave Mond and Mannion? It’s possible they might both end up getting cut. There are far more promising players the team might prioritize. One of them may make the practice squad, but I wouldn’t be too hurt if this was their last dance in Minnesota.
YIKES, it might be over for Kellen Mond pic.twitter.com/OtsbRh0CpQ
— Nico (@elitetakes_) August 21, 2022
Still No Center
There’s still time to trade for a center! Please? Jordan Davis and Kenny Clark are going to annihilate Garrett Bradbury in the first two weeks. Austin Schlottmann looks like he might take over midseason, as he didn’t look like he was getting thrown around. We’ll have to wait to pass judgement on this one.
The Ugly
Too Many Drops
It was near impossible for the Vikings to move the ball in their final game of the preseason and it wasn’t because the Denver Broncos were making it impossible. In fact, Mond and Mannion might’ve had better perceptions post game had the receivers not kept dropping passes that went right to them. Multiple times receivers and tight ends would get the ball directly into their hands only for butter fingers to strike. I don’t see the starters suffering from such problems, but I don’t want to see easy catches getting dropped. Period.
The Winless Streak
Not necessarily a mark against the Vikings, since again, preseason games don’t matter, but we couldn’t get one? It’s easy to overlook the final record of the preseason, but having a winless streak of seven games leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Ultimately, it was the inability to move the ball meaningfully that forced the streak to continue. Hopefully, it doesn’t reach double digits next preseason.