The Viking Age
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Vikings vs. Broncos: 5 takeaways from Week 1 of the Preseason

By Adam Carlson

Aug 14, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Jake Browning (3) drops back to pass against the Denver Broncos in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 14, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Jake Browning (3) drops back to pass against the Denver Broncos in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kirk Cousins – Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Have a seat

The Broncos came to play on Saturday. Many of their starters suited up for this game to prepare them for the regular season. On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings made the call to rest their stars and instead focus on evaluating the other talent.

Offensively, the Vikings made the call to rest the following players: Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, C.J. Ham, Irv Smith Jr., Tyler Conklin, Rashod Hill, Garrett Bradbury, Ezra Cleveland, Oli Udoh, and Brian O’Neill.

On defense, the following players sat out: Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith, Xavier Woods, Patrick Peterson, and Bashaud Breeland.

With all those players inactive for this game (and possibly more that I didn’t mention here), fan expectation for the team against a near-full strength Broncos squad was likely way too high. If you remember that it was essentially the Denver first team against the Vikings’ backups, this game feels a lot better.

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