Vikings vs Bengals preseason week 1: 5 things to watch for

Watch for safety competition

Another season for the Minnesota Vikings, another conversation on who the starting safety will be opposite Harrison Smith for the year. By now, this topic has gotten pounded into the ground, but until the team finds a reliable safety who can play at a high level consistently, it will continue to be a point of contention.

So, this year’s crop of players aren’t the most impressive. Andrew Sendejo seems to be the favorite to take the spot back, but there are some hungry, young players behind him that are still a bit too raw to unseat the veteran.

Then, when you add Michael Griffin to the mix, you get a really muddled situation where the competition is likely less about who can win a starting job than who will end up making the final roster.

Still, someone will need to win the starting job, and that competition should continue through three weeks of the preseason. Who will step up? Who can prove they worked extra hard this offseason in hopes of earning the job? We’ll find out more soon.

Next: Stave Cool