5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks – Preseason Week 1

The Minnesota Vikings won’t play many of their starters against the Seattle Seahawks, but there will be plenty to watch in their first preseason game.

It’s been a long road, but the Minnesota Vikings have made it to football season. Thursday’s preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks is more symbolic than anything, but just the sight of the gridiron is like catnip for football fans.

Just last week, 6.3 million viewers sat on their couches to watch former Vikings players Kellen Mond and Chazz Surratt play in the Hall of Fame Game, and while the current members of Minnesota's roster will be playing in front of a much smaller audience, there will be plenty of fans eager to get the first official look at this year’s team.

If fans are hoping to see what Kirk Cousins can do in his second year in Kevin O’Connell’s offense or which different looks Brian Flores will use on defense, they’re going to leave disappointed. But there are still several other storylines worth watching as the Vikings look to figure out their roster and prepare for the upcoming season.

In this article, we’ll make five bold predictions for Thursday’s game. While they may not be quantitative, they’ll represent an important storyline during training camp that has another chapter written against the Seahawks.

So let's begin with the first prediction, which involves one of Minnesota's young running backs emerging for the offense on Thursday.