Vikings Preseason Update: 3 Up | 3 Down After Ravens Game

Vikings Preseason Update
3 Up | 3 Down After the Ravens Game

The Minnesota Vikings hosted the Baltimore Ravens for the second preseason game on each team’s schedule. Doing so followed a pair of feisty joint practices at TCO Performance Center.

At the end, the final score showed Baltimore sitting on 13 points and Minnesota sitting atop 3 points. Check out the Vikings postgame breakdown to get a better sense of how the game went.

1 – Safety Jacob Thomas Keeps Earning a Beefy Workload

Several years ago, I was talking to a high school teacher about trying to turn his temporary contract into a permanent contract. His strategy involved doing as much as he could to help the school.

There was, of course, his normal teaching workload (classroom instruction, marking, etc.). But then he coached several sports teams and volunteered to help coordinate prom. All of the sudden, showing him the door became costly for the school since he was helping in so many areas.

Jacob Thomas started with the defense today. Yet again, he often looked fast and decisive while working as a center fielder who would creep close to the line of scrimmage when needed. He got worked into the mix with punt return and punt coverage. He was part of the defense seeking to block the Ravens field goal.

Kevin O’Connell praised the rookie in his postgame presser, describing him as “really smart, really instinctive” while giving him kudos for seizing the opportunity that has been in front of him.

Like an early-career teacher, Thomas could be hard to cut since he’s doing a lot of work.

2 – J.J. McCarthy High and Hot on Several Throws

Talent isn’t McCarthy’s issue. Rather, it’s being able to consistently do some of the basic parts of the job, like hitting an open receiver with regularity.

McCarthy wasn’t all bad. His deep bomb to Tai Felton was a great instance of maintaining his poise, stepping up in the pocket, and then showing off some arm strength. The problem, though, is that was one instance of excellence when what’s needed is consistency to surround these excellent moments.

I asked Coach O’Connell about the coaching point during the game when the ball is sailing high. The skipper said some of the issue could be due to pressure but that coaching adjustments during the game can be tough. By and large, Minnesota needs to roll with those tough moments and work on correcting them afterwards.

The questions about being dropped down to QB3 aren’t going to die down.

3 – Myles Price Has Come a Long Way

Can’t help but be really happy for Myles Price. Not only is he eating up targets, but he also got tasked with breaking down the team prior to the game.

Last year, Myles Price got brought to town as an undrafted pickup. He demanded a whopping $0 in guaranteed money (Over the Cap), meaning he boasted zero job security. He’s now looking locked into the PR1 job and finds himself in a good spot to be the WR4.

4 – Dillon Bell Continues to Show Promise

Bell is somebody who can chew up yards in a hurry.

The do-it-all weapon went undrafted before Minnesota drained the ATM with $272,500 in guaranteed money. Getting onto the final roster is far from a sure thing. In fact, I’d guess that he’s on the fringe, at best.

Toward the end of the opening half, Bell got hit on a short throw to the outside with less than 30 seconds on the clock. He didn’t get out of bounds, though, forcing Minnesota to burn a timeout for what was a 2-yard gain. That’s going to be frustrating for the coaches since timeouts are precious.

What’s clear, though, is that he’s somebody with explosive speed who could develop into a nice gadget guy for the Kevin O’Connell offense. He had 6 catches go for 51 yards.

5 – Demond Claiborne, Zavier Scott, and an Uninspiring Rushing Effort

Demond Claiborne boasts speed that’s second to none. He seldom got a chance to show it off, bottled up far too early in his reps. Claiborne’s 8 carries went for 22 yards.

Zavier Scott is a versatile player who boasts good size and silky mitts. He, too, got worked into the mix but couldn’t be described as having an explosive day. Scott’s day involved 7 carries for 28 yards.

The Vikings will need to be better.

6 – Tai Felton Deep, Jeshaun Jones Deep, & The Pressure on the Passing Attack

In both instances, Felton and Jones were well covered. J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz still went for it.

The Kevin O’Connell era has largely been characterized by a potent passing attack. Going deep a pair of times is a reminder of what’s possible once the games start to matter.  Kyler Murray, the QB1, is going to work with a collection of skill that’s the envy of the NFL: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.

Creating explosive gains while also arriving at some consistency on a play-by-play basis is what’s needed in Minnesota. Sometimes, that’s going to mean tossing the ball up and letting the receiver go get it.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.