Vikings come up short in preseason finale against Cardinals

The final preseason game of the year for the Minnesota Vikings saw them fall to the Cardinals.

Preseason games are complete for the Minnesota Vikings now that Week 3 is in the books. To nobody's surprise, many players who have already solidified their spot with the team did not see action.

Minnesota concludes their preseason winless after a 17-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in an exhibition contest that went down to the final moments in front of the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Although the Vikings couldn't secure a preseason win this year, the young team showed a lot of heart and there are plenty of reasons to be encouraged by what some of the young players were able to do on the field.

Fans got a good, long look at rookie quarterback Jaren Hall, who put on a solid performance under center on Saturday. Aside from an ugly interception on third-and-short, the young man had a solid outing. He went 17-28 for 178 yards and a score.

Rookie running back DeWayne McBride had struggled in previous preseason action but looked good today, running eight times for 37 yards and a touchdown. Abram Smith and Aaron Dykes were the only other running backs to get carries.

Meanwhile, Jalen Reagor continues to make his case for a spot on the team's 53-man roster by catching two passes for 28 yards. Making the team as a receiver will be a challenge this year, as several talented pass catchers will be cut to make the team's final roster.

Sadly, the perfect preseason didn't happen for kicker Greg Joseph, who missed a 50+ yard kick that could have put the purple and gold in the lead with a small amount of time remaining in the game. Other than that miss, he didn't miss a field goal or extra point all preseason.

The next time the Minnesota Vikings take the field will be on Sept. 10 when they host Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the team's season opener. Enjoy the upcoming regular season action, everyone!