5 biggest takeaways from the Vikings win over the Lions in Week 17

This was a glorified preseason game

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL decided to cancel all four preseason games this year. This was probably the hardest for many of the younger players or new faces on the Vikings roster since there was little time to adjust to a new team or get on the same page as teammates.

An adjustment period like this is likely one reason behind Minnesota losing five of their first six games this season. However, some players that may not have gotten a look were given a chance to shine on defense and some of them performed pretty well despite the circumstances.

Between extremely long interviews and inconsistent production, the purple and gold saw guys like Hardy Nickerson and Todd Davis improve their stock enough that they should get another look with the Vikings next season.

Considering the next action Minnesota will see outside of practices in 2021 will likely be a preseason game, it was nice to evaluate some of the players that aren’t obvious candidates to return to the team next year.