More good stuff
To expand a bit on the defense, there has to be a lot of love going out to Harrison Smith. His six tackles (five solo) to go with a strip sack he recovered, a tackle for loss, and a pass defense show off his versatility in the defense.
Meanwhile, Dalvin Cook got some help from his blockers and was able to show off speed and elusiveness and continue Minnesota’s ability to run the ball. A 75-yard touchdown run put all that on display as he totaled 154 yards on 20 carries, an average of 7.7 yards per carry.
Here are some other good things to come out of the second preseason game for the Minnesota Vikings:
- It appears as though Vikings made some good choices when it comes to their receiver depth. Chad Beebe looked like a veteran by altering his route to free him up for Kirk Cousins. The result of that play was 61 yards and a red zone appearance.
- Getting stops on 3rd and 4th and short. The Vikings can swarm the line of scrimmage really well, especially when they know the opponent’s plan will be to run the ball. They did a great job of shutting down those third and shorts on the ground after the initial Green Bay offensive surge.
- The emergence of Hercules. In his first true year in the NFL after sitting out last season, Hercules Mata’afa looks like he could be a stud in the making. He plays heads up football and despite being used situationally he made some big plays when the team needed them the most.