8 things to watch during the Vikings preseason game vs. the Saints

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Adam Thielen
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Adam Thielen
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(Photo by Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images) Kyle Sloter
(Photo by Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images) Kyle Sloter

Who can step up in the backup QB battle?

While the Vikings are entrenched at starting quarterback this season, the battle behind Kirk Cousins remains unsolved. Minnesota is currently having a competition for the backup spot for the second-straight year as Sean Mannion is fighting for the job against preseason god, Kyle Sloter.

Looking at the stats, one would hope that Sloter could step up and take the job from Mannion, but that hasn’t been the case in the early stages of camp. The veteran Mannion has only thrown 53 career passes and he is still looking for his first career touchdown, but he still has more regular season experience than Sloter.

For the past two years, Sloter has done everything he could possibly do in the preseason. But the Vikings apparently want him to fit within the system more before allowing him to be the primary backup to Cousins.

If Sloter continues his preseason superstar performance on Friday, it will be a nice first step toward achieving that goal.

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