Latavius Murray is better than people think. Last season, Murray and McKinnon kept the Vikings running game alive. Murray might not be the fastest. He may not cut on a dime. But he sees gaps well and runs with power, making him a threat with the football.
That smothering defense. Opening with two 3-and-outs and an interception, there is little doubt that this defense is already prepared for the regular season. They made a capable Keenum look sub-pedestrian and Lynch seem plain bad. So impressive.
Stefon Diggs looks ready for the regular season. Solid route running, great awareness, fighting off defenders…Diggs is really prepared to help the Vikings reach the Super Bowl. He had a big catch when the ball was thrown without him looking and then capped off the opening drive with a score. Quite impressive, Stefon!
Roc Thomas looking good. Thomas is fighting for a spot on the roster, as either he or Mack Brown will be the team’s third running back. Right now, Thomas could be on track to unseat the fourth year player if he can continue to show explosiveness and reliable hands. And with his overall performance in this game, he could become a new fan favorite.
Kirk Cousins is what we hoped he would be. That’s right. One series is all it took to realize the new quarterback is the real deal and is definitely on the same page as Diggs after one successful series is important as well. Maybe it’s a small sample size, but it’s all I needed to see.
Getting out healthy. It’s always nice to see a preseason game where there weren’t any big injuries to the team. Although the starters only played a limited time, it’s better to get a taste of the excitement and have everyone back to play another day than keep them in there too long.
