10 quick thoughts on the Vikings preseason loss to the Raiders

More quick thoughts from Minnesota’s loss to Las Vegas

Mannion is still underwhelming: With Kirk Cousins back home resting after recently testing positive for COVID-19, Sean Mannion got the start under center for the Vikings on Sunday.

Mannion’s stats were fine (8-of-12 for 79 yards), but Minnesota’s offense struggled to move the ball during the majority of their drives with the veteran passer on the field.

In four drives with Mannion under center on Sunday, the Vikings only averaged 4.1 yards per play. In comparison, Minnesota averaged 7.5 yards per play during the drives with Kellen Mond at quarterback during the matchup.

Phillips looks impressive in debut: One of the most notable free-agent additions to Minnesota’s roster this offseason was defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. On Sunday, Phillips was only on the field for one defensive series, but he displayed exactly why the Vikings pursued him in free agency.

The veteran defensive lineman finished his afternoon with three tackles, one sack, and one quarterback hit.

Ingram states his case to be a starter:

Jesse Davis got the start at right guard over rookie Ed Ingram on Sunday, but Ingram definitely made some plays during his time on the field against the Raiders to try and show Minnesota that he deserves to open the regular season as a starter.

Penalties too frequent for Minnesota in the first half: During the first few drives of the game, it felt like any time the Vikings made a notable play on offense or defense, it was quickly negated by a penalty.

Minnesota was flagged for seven penalties in the first half, and even though they only had one more infraction in the second half, this is something that has to be cleaned up by Kevin O’Connell and his staff before the start of the regular season.