Lewis Cine reveals what makes him dangerous out on the field

Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine is playing for a roster spot in the final weeks of the preseason. But after a breakout performance in last Saturday’s 27-12 win over the Cleveland Browns, he believes one aspect of his game makes him a dangerous player.

“I think that happens when I’m healthy, and I’ve worked on the things that I need to work on,” Cine told Jeff Wald of KSMP-TV on Wednesday. “Then [just] keying in with the defense and everything. Just have fun with it [and] not think.”

Cine let his play do the talking on Saturday, racking up 11 tackles, a sack, and an interception in the victory over the Browns. While Cine entered Saturday’s game with plenty of speculation about his future with the Vikings, he told Wald that he just went out there to play his game and block out the outside noise.

“I was just excited to have fun,” Cine said. “Honestly, fly around, run around, feel free. Have fun with the game. I was not really thinking about what people had to say, expectations and none of that. If you’re having fun, everything will handle itself.”

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Health and fun are two things that Cine hasn’t experienced a lot of since the Vikings selected him with the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Cine broke his leg during a game in London in October during his rookie year and worked his way back at the beginning of last season. But his sophomore year didn’t go well as he played in seven games as a special teams player and was a healthy scratch in 10 of 12 games from Week 4 to Week 15.

Cine’s usage put him on the roster bubble heading into training camp, but a lower-body injury put him further down on a depth chart that includes Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Bobby McCain. 

While Cine stood out in his return to the field, he also played every defensive snap for the Vikings last Saturday, which is usually a sign that teams want to showcase a player for trade.

But Cine isn’t worried about his future in Minnesota and is focused on what makes him a dangerous player moving forward.

“That’s not really what I’m thinking about. I’m just thinking about stacking another one. I don’t go into that.

…Just handle the things I can handle and then let the pieces fall where they may. I’m not oblivious to knowing this is a business at the end of the day, but I’m confident in myself. I’m confident in the player that I am. A healthy me is a dangerous me, so that’s all I can say about that.”

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