The Vikings lost to the Titans 24-16 in the second preseason game Saturday night. Here are five things that stood out…
1. Lewis Cine played a lot and had ups and downs
The 2022 first-round pick started at safety while the guys ahead of him on the depth chart – Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus – all got the night off. That means Cine is likely a special teamer to start the regular season and these preseason games are opportunities for him to develop his game.
Against the Titans, there were ups and downs. The most obvious blunder was Cine going low in an attempt to plug a hole and tackle Titans running back Tyjae Spears in the first half, but Spears easily jumped Cine and sprinted to the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown.
@thorku has called out Tyjae Spears since last January as a dude who will wow folks.
Plays like this is exactly why.
— Matt Anderson (@MattAnderson_8) August 20, 2023
He wound up leading the Vikings with seven tackles and had a sack of Malik Willis deep in Vikings territory in the third quarter.
Lewis Cine is still out there in the third quarter getting valuable reps. Gets a sack here against Malik Willis. pic.twitter.com/9iTwYTLDxT
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 20, 2023
Ivan Pace Jr and Lewis Cine both flashing on this play. Speeeeeed pic.twitter.com/3JjUA2YMOY
— Thomas Sullivan (@Yfz84) August 20, 2023
2. Backup offensive line did not look good
It’ll be interesting to see the Pro Football Focus grades for this game because it certainly didn’t look like Minnesota’s offensive line played well. The good news is that the starters – Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram and Brian O’Neill – didn’t play.
The bad news is that the primary backups didn’t look good.
- LT: Vederian Lowe
- LG: Alan Ali
- C: Austin Schlottmann
- RG: Blake Brandel
- RT: Oli Udoh
3. Give some love to NaJee Thompson
Thompson will appear way down on the cornerback depth chart, but if there is anyone making a case to make the team as a special teams ace it’s Thompson. The undrafted rookie from Georgia Southern made big plays in the first preseason game against Seattle and he flashed again with a great tackle on punt coverage against the Titans.
Thompson lost his helmet on the play and wound up with concussion symptoms, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell.
NaJee Thompson makes another tackle as a punt gunner and loses his helmet in the process pic.twitter.com/EefXQWOTiE
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 20, 2023
4. The running back situation isn’t encouraging
Alexander Mattison hasn’t played yet this preseason but the guys fighting for snaps behind him have, and they haven’t look great. Outside of a decent showing by Ty Chandler against the Seahawks, the Vikings have got next to nothing from the running game.
Chandler had just 24 yards on 11 carries against the Titans and rookie DeWayne McBride had six carries for 18 yards and a one-yard touchdown against Tennessee’s third and fourth stringers late in the fourth quarter.
Abram Smith got just two carries so it looks like McBride has moved ahead of Smith on the depth chart. The question is if Minnesota will be comfortable with Mattison, Chandler and McBride or look to the free agent wire for someone like Kareem Hunt or Mike Davis, both of whom who worked out for the Vikings last week.
5. Are these the backup defensive players?
The starters on defense didn’t play, so are the 11 guys who started Saturday night the frontrunners for backup jobs? If so, here’s who started:
- OLB: Luiji Vilain
- OLB: Benton Whitley
- ILB: Ivan Pace Jr.
- ILB: Troy Dye
- DT: Ross Blacklock
- NT: T.J. Smith
- CB: Andrew Booth Jr.
- CB: Joejuan Williams
- S: Theo Jackson
- S: Lewis Cine
- S: Jay Ward
Pace Jr. has clearly put himself in a position to win a starting inside linebacker job next to Jordan Hicks. And you’ll notice that Minnesota started the game in nickel with five defensive backs, including rookie safety Jay Ward. That said, Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus got the night off and are the top three safeties on the team.
Insider linebacker Brian Asamoah, rookie defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy and rookie cornerback Mekhi Blackmon all missed the game with injuries. Where they fit on the depth chart isn’t completely clear, though it does seem that Blackmon has a chance to play a lot as a rookie and could very well be ahead of Booth Jr. and/or Williams.
