Vikings lose in Week 2 of preseason as offense struggles to execute

The Minnesota Vikings went into Week 2 of the preseason looking to shake off the embarrassment of their previous outing. They were beaten down by the Broncos last week but looked to improve against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 21.

This game featured some of the starters getting playing time. Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, and a few others made their preseason debuts on Saturday in preparation for the regular season.

Let’s take a look at some of the key plays from the Minnesota Vikings loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Notable plays from the first quarter:

• On the Vikings’ first offensive drive, Adam Thielen was hit on a crossing route and left the game with a minor limp. He got assistance on the sideline. He did not return to the game, but the injury did not seem significant.
• Blake Lynch got a nice stop on third down to force a Colts field goal try. Rodrigo Blankenship knocked it through from 47 yards out to give Indy an early 0-3 lead.
• Chazz Surratt made a great tackle on special teams to stop a Colts punt return from getting started.
• A tipped Sam Ehlinger pass at the line by Armon Watts ends up in the hands of Vikings linebacker Troy Dye. He was able to bring it back 33 yards for a score to make the game 7-3 in favor of Minnesota. Dye followed that up with a blitz that resulted in a hit on the Colts quarterback.

Notable plays from the second quarter:

• Eddy Pineiro connected on a field goal. This one came from 31 yards out. Vikings still lead 7-6.
• Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a nice kickoff return that went 41 yards and got out to the 36-yard line. He struggled in the team’s first preseason contest but could do well starting on special teams.
• Rashod Hill gave up a sack to rookie linebacker Kwitty Paye. He is in for Christian Darrisaw, who isn’t ready to play quite yet.
• Greg Joseph pushed a 51-yard field goal attempt slightly wide right. Kirk Cousins scrambled to put Joseph in field goal range for the attempt.
• Defensive tackle Jordan Scott took advantage of a tipped ball for an interception. After he fumbled, Miles Dorn recovered it for Minnesota.
• Minnesota absorbs another sack as Jake Browning couldn’t find a target in a collapsing pocket. He nearly got back to the line of scrimmage.
• Jake Browning made some bad throws and seemed very flustered by pressure. Concern about the QB2 spot is relevant again.
• A 49-yard field goal attempt by Greg Joseph was true. The accuracy on that was great and the score with less than a minute to go in the half was 10-6 in favor of Minnesota.
• Troy Dye nearly had another interception that was just a little too high for him to reel in. He looked quite good.
• Browning hit Osborn for a big gain before the half. Sadly, a false start penalty pushed them back more and the hail mary attempt fell to the ground as the clock expired.

Notable plays from the third quarter:

• Kellen Mond couldn’t handle the snap on the opening play of the Vikings drive and lost 7 yards. Running back A.J. Rose got that yardage back and more on the ground during the next play.
• Kris Boyd made a nice hit on a Colts receiver to stop them in their tracks and allow no yards after the catch. He is quietly having a great preseason.
• Smith-Marsette had another nice punt return. 16 yards gained on this one. He continues to look good on special teams.
• Cameron Dantzler made a great stick tackle on third down to force a Pinero field goat attempt from 50. The Colts kicker converted the kick to make it a one-point game as the Vikings led 10-9.
• A nice completion under pressure from Mond to Smith-Marsette was called back due to a holding penalty on offensive tackle Cole Cabral. Both guys could have used the momentum from that play to gain confidence.

Notable plays from the fourth quarter:

• Pass interference on third down by Dylan Maybin bailed out the Colts. They got a new set of downs and made the defense put in a little extra work.
• The drive kept alive from Maybin’s penalty concluded with a Pineiro 28 yard field goal. The Colts took the lead 10-12 following that play.
• Mond lasered a pass to Myron Mitchell for 22 yards. Mitchell held onto the ball well in traffic and taking some contact.
• The Vikings went for it on fourth and four from the Colts’ 45-yard line. Offensive linemen ended up on the ground and the Mond pass to Rose Jr. was uncatchable.
• Minnesota linebacker Blake Lynch made a great stop in the Indy backfield.
• With 22 seconds left in the game,. the Minnesota Vikings got the ball off a Colts punt.

FINAL SCORE: MINNESOTA VIKINGS 10 – INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 12

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

What was learned during the Week 1 preseason game between the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos on Aug. 14, 2021? Here are some takeaways.

What were the most important plays and developments from the second preseason game for the Minnesota Vikings? And what were you hoping to see against the Colts that didn’t happen? Let us know your opinion in the comments.