The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings at Bengals: Preseason week 1 game review

By Adam Carlson

Aug 12, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) warms up prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 12, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) warms up prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 15, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes (26) looks on during the first quarter in a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings won 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes (26) looks on during the first quarter in a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings won 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

The Good

  1. Trae Waynes looked like a starter. Even against guys like A.J. Green, Waynes was able to keep up, keep position, and disrupt the passing game. Add in some nice tackles, especially a shoestring tackle on a quick screen, and you’ve got the makings of a complete cornerback.
  2. Kentrell Brothers looks like the real deal. In today’s NFL, most linebackers are specialists. They are either thumpers, tacklers, blitzers, or coverage guys. Brothers is a tackler, and he put that on display this game, changing plays and being a speed bump to ball carriers, which is a good quality to have.
  3. Jerick McKinnon is good! Don’t get me wrong, Minnesota Vikings fans know how good he is. But his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, change directions, and make people miss shows that he is ready for a bigger role with the team when the coaching staff is prepared to ask him for such.
  4. Teddy shows off that deep ball. A 49 yard touchdown pass against the Bengals second team is a great way to make other teams look and say “hmmm…this guy can throw it long” without giving away too much of the offense. Not to mention that Charles Johnson’s double move made that pass easy for Teddy.
  5. C.J. Ham is impressive. I’ve been talking up C.J. Jam for a while, but he got an opportunity to shine against the Bengals, running in a 10 yard touchdown as well as getting some other quality runs in. With a crowded group of running backs on the Vikings roster, he could be a great guy to stash on the practice squad.

Next: THE BAD STUFF

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