4 reasons why Kyle Sloter should be the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback
By Adam Patrick
Games matter, not practice
Anytime Vikings fans have seen Kyle Sloter take the field in a preseason matchup, it mostly results in a good outcome. However, the excuse Minnesota has been using to explain their reasoning for keeping Sloter as their No. 3 quarterback this year is due to him not performing well in practice.
Practice? To reference the great Allen Iverson, “we’re talking about practice?”
Who cares if the kid isn’t lights out during practice for the Vikings. Sloter’s performance during actual game situations should carry a much heavier weight than what he does in shorts out on the practice field.
If practice was such a great tool to determine the success of players in games then Minnesota’s recent history would probably be much different. If practice mattered as much to the Vikings as they claim it does then Case Keenum probably wouldn’t have made the team in 2017 and Laquon Treadwell would likely be a borderline All-Pro wide receiver by now.
But this isn’t the case because what matters the most for every player in the NFL is how they perform in actual games, preseason or regular season. Someone being a great performer in practice doesn’t really do a team any good if they can’t find the same level of success during a game.
Sloter may supposedly not be the greatest player out on the practice field, but he’s at his best when he gets to put on an actual uniform to take on opponents that aren’t his teammates. Minnesota needs to realize this is much more impressive than whatever he’s able to do in a meaningless practice.