5 things to watch during the Vikings preseason game vs. the Bills

Will Sloter get an opportunity with the second team?

Kyle Sloter‘s preseason performance every year is almost like a rite of passage into the fall. No, we can not have everything turn into pumpkin spice and the leaves turn color outside until Sloter torches third-string defenses and leads the Vikings back from the dead in four straight games.

While it has been fun to watch Sloter at the end of games, many fans are asking why he hasn’t risen up the depth chart. As of now, Sean Mannion currently holds down that spot despite leading just two scoring drives during the preseason.

With head coach Mike Zimmer valuing Mannion’s “experience” of one NFL start and his practice habits, it doesn’t seem like the backup job is up for grabs, but fans still want to see what Sloter can do against better competition.

Chances are that the Vikings won’t give Sloter reps against the second team as they look to prepare Mannion for holding the golden clipboard behind Kirk Cousins. But maybe, just maybe, Zimmer may want to put this thing to rest if he doesn’t believe in Sloter and see him get destroyed by a second-string defense. Or maybe Sloter lights them up too.

In an otherwise meaningless game, it will be curious to see who plays the majority of snaps under center and who they are playing against.