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After sputtering out during the first preseason game, the Vikings' offense will look to redeem themselves as they travel to Seattle for an exhibition matchup. Daniel House previews the game and provides five key storylines to monitor.
Updated: August 18, 2017, 11:35 a.m.
By: Daniel House
By: Daniel House
After sputtering out during the first preseason game, the Vikings' offense will look to redeem themselves as they travel to Seattle for an exhibition matchup. The roster battles on defense will also start to intensify as the group is tested by a Seahawks offense that features elusive quarterbacks and playmakers. More importantly, Seattle's defense will provide a progress report for where the offense currently stands.
Putting together a
strong first-team drive
The Vikings’ offense lacked identity in the first preseason
game vs. Buffalo. They tallied just 24 yards and one first down in three series
of action. There is a small amount of preparation that occurs for these games,
but it is still important to see the offense in rhythm. Getting the offense
going by completing short-to-intermediate throws and setting up play action
looks for Dalvin Cook would be nice to see. In addition, the pocket must be
clean for quarterback Sam Bradford to take more risks up the field. This is
something Bradford must be willing to do during regular season. Preseason games
are the perfect opportunity to take risks. Seattle has one of the top defensive
units in the league, so it will be a solid progress report for where this
offense stands. More importantly, it will be an opportunity to evaluate many
young players against quality competition. It will be worth seeing how centers Nick
Easton and Pat Elflein perform, along with wide receivers Stacy Coley and
Rodney Adams. If the offense moves the ball better, everyone can take a deep
breath.
Seeing improvement on
the offensive line
Many people had a panic attack when they watched the first
preseason game and seen two sacks allowed by the first-team offense. Of course,
it was a small sample size of preseason action, but pass protection was a major
emphasis entering this season. The offensive line will be tested by a quality
defensive front that notched the third-most sacks last year. One of the key
components needed to throw vertically down the field is solid protection.
Quarterback Sam Bradford must have time to stand in the pocket and use his overall
arm talent down the field. The run blocking up front has looked much better,
but still shows signs of inconsistency. As an overall unit, the goal should be
to improve every week. Those who believed two signings would magically repair
this unit aren’t thinking logically. Friday night will be a great test for the
tackles and should provide more clarity regarding the center battle, too. Left tackle Riley Reiff has been easing back into participation, but it would be surprising to see him play. It means we will get another long look at Rashod Hill, who is developing every week with more playing time.
Continuing the
defensive line battle
The battle for the fourth defensive end spot will continue
after Tashawn Bower put together a fantastic performance last week. Bower had numerous
pressures, a sack and a pass breakup. However, his competitor at the position
has been showing growth, too. Not only has Stephen Weatherly been progressing as a
pass rusher, but he’s reliable on special teams. It makes the battle on
the edge even more intriguing.
In addition, I discussed how the interior of the defensive line struggled to hold up against the run last week. Will the Vikings
make personnel changes or refine their approach for this game? Perhaps Datone
Jones will see a rise up the depth chart or Jaleel Johnson will slide into the
rotation more. The way the team starts mixing the interior of the defensive
line will provide insight into how the depth chart will be structured at the
position. The team will have major decisions to make up front and they will
dictate how the entire roster is constructed.
The starting weakside
linebacker rotation
After watching every rep in training camp, none of the
linebackers really stood out in the competition at weakside linebacker. The
first preseason game yielded a similar opinion. Edmond Robinson has been
performing decent in coverage, but really struggled against the run. Veteran
Emmanuel Lamur has yet to make a splash either. Ben Gedeon has continued to
rotate into the first-team defense and could make a strong push for the
starting job if neither Robinson or Lamur separate themselves. Gedeon was
fantastic against the run, but struggled against the pass on a few occasions.
Each of these players have strengths and weaknesses, but Friday night’s game
will be an opportunity to see if any player finally takes the opportunity and
runs with it. The Vikings aren’t in the base defense all that much, but they
must find a stable option on the weakside. Teams often exploited this area and
forced the Vikings to play base at the end of 2016.
A great test for the
Vikings’ defense
The defensive line will be tested against elusive
quarterbacks in this game. Both Russell Wilson and Trevone Boykin can escape
the pocket and create plays up the field with their legs. It will test the discipline
of the Vikings’ front-seven. The defensive ends have to establish contain and
the linebackers must stay aligned.
In addition, Seattle’s offense scored 48 points last week
against the Chargers, including 458 total yards. The Vikings will be tested
against both the run and pass. Last week, Minnesota struggled to stop the run
and it was the result of alignment issues and difficulties inside. It will be
interesting to see if there are any personnel changes within the interior of
the defensive line. Not to mention, the Seahawks passed for over 338 yards,
including a significant amount later in the game. The Seattle passing attack
will test cornerbacks like Terrell Sinkfield and Antone Exum Jr., along with
players in the backend like Jayron Kearse and Anthony Harris.
Hate to be negative but I don't think Reiff or Remmers were an upgrade. Outside of drafting a good center we did nothing impactful on our offensive line. Boone is overrated and injury prone. Berger is going to retire after this season. What are we trying to do implode like last season? Hill at tackle is ok. The rest of the line is mediocre at best. I challenge the offensive line to prove me wrong! But just in case Rick watch the cuts closely!!
ReplyDeletethe vikings pulled a spirited performance at their last game against the seattle seahawks i have my fingers crossed they do win during this outing so far they have had a good run though in their last away matches
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