The Minnesota Vikings played their preseason finale in Mile High Stadium, falling to the Denver Broncos, 23-13. Vikings fans didn’t get a look at new backup quarterback Nick Mullens, although they did see some dazzling highlights from their new punter, an impressive turn by a running back buried on the depth chart, and a few more reasons to get excited about their regular-season debut on Sept. 11.
Here are five numbers that tell the story of the Vikings-Broncos game.
21
Ihmir Smith-Marsette settled some of the questions surrounding the punt-return game with a 21-yard runback. Smith-Marsette had a rough time on special teams last week against the San Francisco 49ers, enough to generate some concern among Vikings fans. While one good game doesn’t put the issue to rest, it will likely be enough for him to win the job over rookie Jalen Nailor.
Smith-Marsette may have also put himself ahead in the battle for the fourth receiver spot, leading the team with 63 receiving yards. His route running and ability to get open likely had him above Olabisi Johnson, who will now miss the season with a torn ACL. That, plus his improved performance on special teams, likely solidifies his roster spot.
47
Zach Davidson also improved on his performance from last week, hauling in four catches on six targets for 47 yards. Davidson really struggled last week, and it looked like he had played himself out of a potential roster spot when he dropped three of his four targets.
He got his redemption against the Broncos and showed he could be dangerous with the ball in his hands. He out-ran several Denver defenders and, even when they were able to get a hand on him, proved hard to bring down. This performance, abetted by an important Nick Muse drop that was negated by a penalty, likely put Davidson slightly ahead for the third spot in the tight end group. He showed the upside that inspired the old regime to select him in the fifth-round last season even though he was a relatively unknown commodity.
58
Kicker Greg Joseph took advantage of that thin Mile High air when he nailed a 58-yard field goal. Joseph was 2/2 on field goals and improved on his career-long of 55 yards. It isn’t like he barely made that 58-yarder, either. It looked like the kick would have been good from just beyond 60.
The biggest uncertainty with the kicking game coming into Saturday’s contest was new punter and holder Ryan Wright taking over for Jordan Berry. Everything seemed to be going smoothly on all of the kicks, and with two weeks of practice till the first game of the season, hopefully we see even more fluidity in the operation.
56.3
Speaking of Ryan Wright, in his first game as the Vikings’ clear No. 1 punter, he impressed with an average of 56.3 yards per punt, with three kicks downed inside the 20. Following Berry’s surprise release, all eyes were on the rookie from Tulane to justify his promotion. He excelled both as a holder and a punter.
The crown jewel of his performance was a 68-yard boot that pinned the ball at Denver’s two-yard line. The only blemish of the night was his final kick going for a touchback, but even then he was able to show off his massive leg. While the Vikings hope not to use Wright too much this season, a great punter can certainly help bail you out of a jam — and Minnesota has been known to get in a few of those.
8.8
Rookie Ty Chandler impressed with an average of 8.8 yards per carry. Much has been made about how the Vikings will attack defenses more through the air, but the running backs have made it hard for the coaching staff to ignore them.
With Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison looking like an incredible one-two punch for this running attack, and Kene Nwanguwu set to be the primary kick returner, the Vikings were looking to head into the season with just three running backs. Chandler has changed that outlook a little bit with his dominant turn as both a runner and a pass catcher. Now the Vikings have to decide if they want to stick to their guns, keep three running backs, and risk losing Chandler for nothing, or if they should keep Chandler on the roster and skimp on depth elsewhere.
