After a week of joint practices, the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers took the field on Saturday night at US Bank Stadium for the second week of the preseason.
Excitement was high because it was new head coach Kevin O’Connell‘s first game coaching at home. However, that quickly faded once fans saw the list of players on both sides who would not be playing in the game. Almost everyone close to being a starter didn’t suit up. What ensued was a snoozefest full of vanilla play calling. The 49ers beat the Vikings, 17-7.
Here are five numbers to break down the Vikings’ second preseason loss.
3
The Vikings and Irv Smith Jr. have stated that he is on track to play in Week 1. Still, this preseason game was a good chance for the other tight ends on the roster to compete for the backup spot. Last year’s fifth-round pick, Zach Davidson, didn’t help his case. He dropped three out of his four targets.
The tight end room is wide open behind Smith, so one might expect someone to stake their claim on the primary backup role. Davidson did anything but that as he dropped a pass from Sean Mannion when he was wide open and had nothing but green grass ahead of him.
On the other hand, this year’s seventh-round pick, Nick Muse, finished the game tied for most catches (three) and yards (29). Considering how these past two games have gone, it looks like Davidson might need to find himself another organization after the preseason.
5
Defensive tackle T.Y. McGill impressed fans and players alike, finishing with a game-high five pressures. He was an absolute wrecking ball on the interior, making life hard for San Francisco’s Brock Purdy and Nate Sudfeld every time they dropped back to pass. McGill finished the game with 1.5 sacks and endeared himself to fans who were looking for any positives during that game.
McGill’s performance warranted praise from O’Connell. “He’s one of those guys that flashed to me,” said O’Connell, who also referenced the plays that didn’t show up on the stat sheet. For example, when McGill forced the running back to bounce away from his designated hole and let linebackers Troy Dye and Brian Asamoah chase the running back down.
While this week might have yielded more questions than answers, McGill’s performance in the past two weeks could set him up as a key contributor to the Vikings’ defensive line depth.
0
Backup center Austin Schlottmann also stood out this week, allowing no pressures on 25 pass-blocking snaps. Garrett Bradbury has been the biggest question this offseason regarding the offensive line. Will this new regime be able to turn his performances around and have him start at center?
In the offseason, they brought in Chris Reed to compete for the starting role. But Reed has struggled to find consistency on his snaps and has also been dealing with an elbow injury.
I don’t think Schlottmann can supplant these two and become the starting center, but having depth along the offensive line is very important. If Schlottmann can continue to look competent at his position, he could find himself a roster spot competing with Jesse Davis and Reed as the first offensive lineman off the bench.
6
Olabisi Johnson had a nice return to US Bank stadium. Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond targeted him six times, the most for any Vikings receiver. Johnson hauled in three of his six targets for 29 yards and moved the chains on every pass he caught.
Johnson missed last season with a torn ACL, and K.J. Osborn took his WR3 spot. Therefore, Johnson had a lot to prove this training camp and preseason just to make it back onto the roster.
The top three receivers on the team are set: Jefferson, Thielen, and Osborn. Imhir Smith-Marsette and Jalen Nailor have the upper hand with their utility in the return game, so Johnson will have to scratch and claw his way to the roster.
3
Whatever hype there might have been around Kellen Mond further deflated after Saturday’s game. Mond struggled against San Francisco’s defense with three turnover-worthy plays and two horrific interceptions.
After completing his first three passes, Mond looked like a shell of what he was last week. He ended his first drive with an interception that he underthrew. Mond could not get into any rhythm after that and struggled for the rest of the game.
Mannion looked a lot calmer and more conscious than the second-year quarterback. Mond ended his night by throwing an interception to a double-covered Nailor, practically telegraphing his intentions to the safety by staying glued to that one read. While Mannion looked better, he didn’t wow anyone. It makes you start to wonder if the backup quarterback for the season is currently on the team.
