What were the good, bad, and interesting parts of the Minnesota Vikings week 4 preseason game against the Miami Dolphins? Here are the ups and downs!
It’s finally done. With the conclusion of the Minnesota Vikings final preseason game, that means the regular season is right around the corner. However, they couldn’t look past their opponents, the Miami Dolphins.
While a majority of the starters didn’t suit up or play in this game, there was still plenty on the line. Roster spots, the practice squad, and even some position battles were yet to be determined in this game, putting a lot on the line for many players.
Even though the Vikings lost 9-30 to the Dolphins, there was plenty of good, bad, and interesting things to discuss from the week 4 preseason game. All of these plays will likely have some impact on the Vikings decisions when final roster cuts are made.
Let’s discuss the events of the game, starting with “Ups” that made the fans and analysts happy from the game against Miami!
The Good Stuff
- Jaleel Johnson and Antone Exum standing out. When you play against lesser competition, you’re supposed to stand out. The rookie defensive tackle and defensive back looked like they truly belong on an NFL roster.
- Eric Wilson showed some flashes. This has been a great preseason for some relatively unknown players. Eric Wilson had some very bright spots during the game, including sniffing out a screen and smashing a running back, causing a tackle for a loss.
- The run game. Minnesota averaged nearly 5 yards per carry on offense in the first half and a little less than that in the second half. This offensive line is full of maulers who aren’t as great in pass protection, which will benefit runners like Newby and Hill.
- 4th quarter Teddy talks. Not only did Bridgewater get interviewed on the sidelines, but the last 10 minutes of the game was completely dominated by discussion of the injured quarterback. But it’s nice to talk about something positive, so this is an UP!
- The game eventually ended. WOW. That game was like pulling teeth. The nice thing is that the game clock runs and there is a conclusion to this game, allowing me to go do something else and not watch my favorite football team get beaten up.
The Bad Things
- Opening drive defense. Penalties, sloppy tackling, and leaving too much space in coverage were all factors in an opening Miami drive that ended with a rushing touchdown. The biggest finger pointing goes to Jabari Price and Tre Roberson, but there were others who missed assignments or tackles as well.
- First half offense. Taylor Heinicke struggled in a big way following his amazing performance closing out the third preseason game. Even though he’s a bit banged up, his accuracy and decision making was questionable against players he should have looked great against.
- Kickoff and punt returns. It’s understandable that these guys want to make things happen. Plus, much of the success of a return has to do with blocking on the play. However, putting the team way behind on yardage for a small chance to look good is a selfish play, and one coaches should take notice of.
- Secondary depth. Yes, Rhodes, Waynes, and Newman were all sitting out. However it was still rough to see so many young guys making so many mistakes and playing sloppy football. Jabari Price and Sam Brown both got picked on this game, leaving a bad impression for both to end the preseason.
- Taunting on Mackensie Alexander. What a stupid penalty! We all know Alexander is a very competitive player, but getting directly into an opposing player’s face after a big defensive play is a huge mistake. He needs to tone that down a notch while keeping his intensity between the whistle blows.
The Interesting Stuff
- #Minnesocial on social media. It was a nice to see that some fans got social media love during the broadcast, but the board was so low on the screen that you couldn’t read anything being written. Fun concept, but needs some work.
- Jarius Wright and C.J. Ham. These two guys were questionable to make the 53 man roster this season, but neither dressed to play in this game. Does that mean they are safe from cuts…or does the team have other things in mind for these two men?
- Kicking competition closed. When you’re a defensive team, you need a consistent and reliable kicker. While Koehn showed off a big boot, he missed too many in the preseason opposite Forbath’s shorter range but better accuracy.
- Showing the crowd. Showing fans looking at the ground or playing on their cell phones isn’t a good way to get people excited about the game. Find some people having a good time or getting rowdy in the crowd! There has to be someone in the stadium showing the team some love!
- Listening to Rick Spielman during the 3rd quarter. It’s always a pleasure with the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings is in the booth. There’s always a lot to learn about how the organization is run behind the scenes and get some info on bubble players.
Overall Impression
There isn’t a lot of positive things to say about this game. These guys played their hearts out, but made a lot of mistakes and put together a sloppy performance where they got dominated by better team to close the preseason.
The bright points were far and few between. Other than good performances from a handful of players, there were too many mistakes, sloppy tackling, bad decisions, and disappointing football being played.
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This should have been an opportunity for young players to make a name for themselves, but instead left a majority of players looking like they aren’t ready for the main roster or maybe even the practice squad.
Even potential roster players put in severely disappointing performances. Most notably, many fans and experts had Jabari Price on their projected 53 man roster, but he didn’t look like he belonged out there against what should have been inferior competition.
As a whole, this was a hard game to watch. It wasn’t competitive. There weren’t a lot of positive performances. And our favorite stars weren’t in action. All in all, this will hopefully be a very forgettable game with the season opener coming up.
Next: Vikings 2017 schedule breakdown
The next edition of Ups and Downs will come for week 1 of the NFL season when the Minnesota Vikings host Adrian Peterson and the New Orleans Saints. Hopefully, fans will have much more to cheer about during that game. SKOL!