The Minnesota Vikings rallied for a 21-20 win Friday night over the Seattle Seahawks, taking a late lead on a Chad Beebe touchdown catch and Jake Wieneke two-point conversion. Seattle completed a late Hail Mary, but receiver Caleb Scott was tackled at the 2-yard line to end the game.
Here are the main takeaways from the so-called dress rehearsal for the regular season.
THE UPS
FIRST UP — Diggs in mid-season form
The star receiver made four catches for a team-leading 51 yards in the first half, and nearly every catch manifested a unique part of his skillset. His first grab on a slant over the middle showcased his route-running. His next catch on a third-down crossing pattern demonstrated his elusiveness in the open field, as well as his awareness of the first-down line as he spun around a defensive back to reach the marker.
His prettiest play of the night came on a 27-yard back shoulder throw from Cousins where Diggs adjusted to the ball at the last second along the sideline. And his final catch showed his ability to absorb contact. With the Vikings trying to execute a two-minute drive at the end of the first half, Diggs got blown up by K.J. Wright on a grab over the middle but hung on.
He left the game briefly after the hard hit but returned to finish the drive.
SECOND UP — Running backs in space
Latavius Murray and C.J. Ham combined for 58 receiving yards and got targeted nine times in the first half, racking up some decent yardage on a few of their receptions, including a shifty catch and run by the fullback Ham.
John DeFilippo was great at getting his running backs involved in Cleveland and has a tendency to line them up wide more frequently than the Vikings have done in recent years. The exciting part for the Vikings fans should be that the team’s most talented running back, Dalvin Cook, has the potential to be even more effective in the passing game than Murray or Ham once he finds his rhythm early in the season. Cook was scarcely used Friday night, getting two carries for one yard.
THIRD UP — Chad Beebe is good
Who would’ve thought that the diminutive receiver from Northern Illinois would suddenly be the hottest commodity among all the camp bodies?
Beebe took over in the fourth quarter with five catches for 59 yards and a pivotal touchdown catch on 4th-and-15 with the game on the line. With Marcus Sherels and Mike Hughes out due to injury, Beebe also returned a punt for 34 yards.
After three preseason games, Beebe has nine catches, 95 yards and two touchdowns. With Brandon Zylstra missing two preseason games due to injury and not making an impact against Seattle, Beebe — the rookie tryout player — is rising up the depth chart.
FOURTH UP — Clean(er) game
Last Saturday’s 14-10 slugfest between the Vikings and Jaguars was littered with 20 flags and at least half a dozen injuries. Though both offenses struggled at times Friday, there was a flow to the game that felt more like the regular season. Through three quarters, there were just four penalties called, and nobody had to be motored off in a cast or on a cart. (Though Mike Boone and Marcus Sherels both had to exit with leg injuries.)
The Vikings once again refrained from committing a lowering-the-helmet penalty. The only infraction against them was a false start.
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THE DOWNS
FIRST DOWN — Wide left strikes again … and again
Just when the Vikings felt secure enough to release veteran Kai Forbath, Daniel Carlson had his worst day of kicking in a Minnesota uniform. The rookie missed twice from 42 yards, both times hooking the kicks narrowly wide left. Carlson had previously been 7-for-7 in the preseason on field goals and extra points. He made his lone extra point attempt in the fourth quarter after Wieneke caught a 1-yard touchdown pass.
The Vikings are unlikely to panic over one game, but Carlson’s response in Thursday’s preseason finale will be imperative.
SECOND DOWN — Blocking lacking, Cousins under pressure
Kirk Cousins dropped back early and often Friday night, testing an offensive line that is slowly getting healthier but hasn’t developed much continuity. Cousins threw a whopping 28 passes in the first half with mixed results. He was frequently under fire and took three hits, not including a sack in the red zone that was nullified due to a defensive holding call. Seattle liberally brought pressure, which appeared to lead to several protection breakdowns, whether the linemen or running backs were at fault.
Cousins was forced to throw a handful of passes into the ground when facing rushers, missed Murray twice in the flat and threw beyond Adam Thielen in a two-minute drill. On the positive side, he helped the Vikings go 7 of 10 on third down in the first half after the team went 0 for 12 last weekend.
He also helped engineer a 97-yard scoring drive for Minnesota’s lone touchdown, which shouldn’t be scoffed at.
The running game, however, had been a strong suit through two preseason games, but the Vikings generated just 1.9 yards per carry with their first team on the field — a far cry from what they’ll be expected to produce in the regular season.
In fairness, the Vikings could have produced more points had Carlson made his kicks. But the offensive chemistry is still a work in progress. Most likely the next time fans see the starters, it will be Sept. 9 to open the regular season.
THIRD DOWN — Defense bends
The Seahawks had just three drives in the first half — excluding their last-ditch effort before halftime — but they scored points on two of them, including a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-6 lead. Seattle only faced one third down on the drive, which they converted. If there’s any vulnerability in the Vikings defense, it’s when they don’t get the chance to unleash their third-down personnel and get the home crowd involved.
Normally stingy against the run, the Vikings allowed 4.9 yards per carry in the first half, including a 6-yard touchdown by Chris Carson (fantasy sleeper!). There’s a huge difference between 2nd-and-5 and 2nd-and-10, and the Seahawks found themselves enjoying the former Friday night.
FOURTH DOWN — Second-team offense
Trevor Siemian did not have a good night, going 4 of 8 for three yards with three sacks. One of his four completions came on a batted ball to himself.
On four drives, the second-team offense converted just two first downs. Siemian, who went 5 of 10 against Jacksonville, has put together two underwhelming performances in a row after a strong debut in Week 1 of the preseason. Meanwhile, third-stringer Kyle Sloter continues to impress in games. His totals through three preseason games amount to 25 of 34, 209 yards, three touchdowns.
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