We\u2019re finally here! Competitive Vikings football. With the first preseason game in the books, that means it\u2019s time for some overreactions and panic (or not?!?). My love of the NFL dates to the mid-1980s. Over the past 40 years, I\u2019ve even picked up some things. Shocking. Two thoughts come to mind.<\/p>\n
First, championships aren\u2019t won in March. Free agency moves can often create a mirage and serve as an all-you-can-eat buffet for fans\u2019 starving bias \u2013 one that constantly needs to be satiated. For every home-run 2024 class, there are a dozen that don\u2019t move the needle as much as hoped.<\/p>\n
Second, the preseason record (obviously) has no bearing on regular-season success. See: 2008 Detroit Lions. That goes without saying. However, in terms of the roster and accompanying depth chart, while surprises happen, it\u2019s often quite challenging to dislodge established veteran depth, let alone starters. This is due to a variety of factors: experience, draft position, financial commitment, etc. Youmust earn it. Let\u2019s call it Kyle Sloter Syndrome. You can get enamored with the preseason game \u201cwow factor,\u201d often against vanilla defenses, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s translating into practice reps, the film room, playbook knowledge, schematic nuances, blocking calls\/assignments, special teams considerations (if any), etc. Again, it occurs (more on that momentarily), but the excitement is often found in seeing who we can sneak onto the practice squad for ongoing in-house development.<\/p>\n
The Vikings are in a unique situation with a Top 10-drafted QBOTF in J.J. McCarthy as a first-time starter. There is an enormous amount of anticipation that comes with such a situation. Comparisons to 2000 and Daunte Culpepper come naturally: similar overall draft positions (#10 vs #11), sat out his rookie year, offensive-minded head coach, had the best WR in football, handed the keys to a playoff team, etc. Culpepper took the reins and was lights-out: 3,937 yards, 33 pass TDs, 16 INTs on the way to an 11-5 record and an NFC Championship Game birth. What happened in that game is a bit blurry (sarcasm my own). Can McCarthy replicate those numbers? Technically. Does he have to? Absolutely not. IMO, the 2025 Vikings roster is top-to-bottom better than the 2000 version \u2013 particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Their points against ranked 24th, for example. If our defense doesn\u2019t fall comfortably in the Top 10 this year, I\u2019d be floored. So\u2026how did McCarthy do in his first competitive snaps of the 2025 season?<\/p>\n
He showed the flashes you expected to see, particularly on the nice 18-yard out-route to Jordan Addison and the 4th down conversion on the ground. The miserabs\/detractors\/Colin Cowherd types will point to the 3rd and 4 miss to Lucky Jackson. It was the correct read (which is what you want to see), and I\u2019m not sure Justin Jefferson doesn\u2019t pull that in. It didn\u2019t look as bad on replay as it did initially. It was a missed opportunity for sure, but that is what the preseason is for. If a veteran like Kyler Murray can throw one of the worst<\/a> interceptions you\u2019ll ever see in his first preseason reps, 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy can miss high on a mid-range crossing route. Other ball placement improvements can also be made. I\u2019m confident they will be. Absolutely nothing I saw in the brief appearance dampened my enthusiasm one iota. J.J. McCarthy is going to have a great year.<\/p>\n Other Preseason Narratives I\u2019m Following<\/p>\n As mentioned, the deference to established veterans is real, whether as starters or in key depth roles. Changes can happen, and there are a handful of opportunities that may arise in the final weeks of practice and preseason for newcomers to shake things up. Given recent developments, here\u2019s an updated list of topics that I\u2019ll be watching over the next 10 days or so.<\/p>\n RB3, who\u2019s it going to be? Even before the Texans game, the buzz around Zavier Scott was legit. His impressive performance (7 carries for 40 yards\/5.7avg, 1 catch for 11 yards) combined with Ty Chandler\u2019s poor showing (5 carries for 5 yards\/3 catches for 20 yards) opened the door for an interesting competition. Alec Lewis of The Athletic is already<\/a> predicting Scott gets the RB3 spot, with Chandler and Tre Stewart the odd men out. I\u2019m not there yet. Why? See above. There is a lot that goes into such a decision, in this case, special teams considerations, blocking ability, and so on. Chandler\u2019s blocking has been an issue, but Scott didn\u2019t exactly impress in this regard on Saturday either. I\u2019m not counting Ty Chandler out, but this is an actual coin flip at this point.<\/p>\n LB depth picture is clearing up? The Vikings\u2019 2022 draft officially takes its place alongside Ishtar, The Postman, Battlefield Earth, Gigli, and post-2010 NFC Championship Game Aaron Rodgers as the most memorable flops in history. With former 3rd round pick Brian Asamoah II being waived, the spots behind Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, Jr. seem like foregone conclusions. Or are they? The DN\u2019s Warren Ludford noted in his usually awesome write-up<\/a> on position battles that there\u2019s still a lot to be sorted out. Eric Wilson (see: established veteran) appears fine. But Kobe King\u2019s versatility \u2013 the hallmark of Flores\u2019s scheme \u2013 remains an issue. A multi-faceted skill set is paramount. As he noted, don\u2019t sleep on Chaz Chambliss. As someone originally pegged as an edge rusher, the ongoing reps he\u2019s getting as an off-ball LB (probably more his natural position), in addition to his highly graded performance against the Texans, may make for a decision difficult.<\/p>\n As someone who watches a ton of SEC football, I saw plenty of Chambliss at Georgia. He\u2019s a gamer. At worst, I\u2019d love to see him back on the practice squad in September. The 3-4 edge rushers seem set, with Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter rounding out the group. Both \u2013 especially Murphy \u2013 played well on Saturday.<\/p>\n Will the real Sam Howell please stand up? Oh, Sammy, we needed that. In my previous article<\/a>, I noted Howell\u2019s struggles so far in training camp and the questions that could\u2019ve arisen if he played poorly on Saturday. One of them rhymes with dozens, as in the dozens of Kohl\u2019s coupons that would be scattered across the Vikings locker room. Fortunately, Howell channeled Creed, took the level of his game \u201chigher\u201d to the tune of 11\/13 for 105 yards (8.1 avg) and a rushing TD. He looked every bit the guy we expected under the guidance of KOC. Now we\u2019re not out of the woods yet; he\u2019ll see plenty of action in the next two weeks, and things could hit the rocks in practice, preseason games, or both. Let\u2019s hope he seizes the opportunity \u201cwith arms wide open.\u201d OK, I\u2019m done here.<\/p>\n To sign a free agent WR or not? Spotrac has the Vikings at $28.5 million in available cap space, so that\u2019s not an issue. With Addison\u2019s three-game suspension, the awful Rondale Moore injury, Jalen Nailor\u2019s inconsistency, and Lucky Jackson\u2019s unproven track record, the question has merit. One does tend to get lost in highlight nostalgia when it comes to these things. Amari Cooper seems to be the most discussed option, and he did have over 1,200 yards receiving for the Browns and their QB carousel mess just two years ago. But he\u2019s available for a reason. Gabe Davis has screwed me so many times in fantasy football, I\u2019ve lost count. The guy is a jazz musician in his ability to give you 20 useless points when you\u2019re up 35 and 4 points when you need 10. The point is, he\u2019s erratic. Odell Beckham, Jr. last had over 50 receptions in 2019.<\/p>\n Listen, it\u2019s just three games, and that\u2019s why my gut tells me KAM stays the course with the WR group as is. The argument against risking it is compelling. If we had Mahomes or Jackson or Allen or Burrow, I\u2019d say fine. But it\u2019s going to be critical for McCarthy, for all intents and purposes a rookie, to hit the ground running in Week 1. With Jefferson\u2019s injury, Addison has been his go-to guy for the duration of camp to date. On September 8th, it\u2019ll be gone. Someone with Cooper\u2019s veteran savvy and standing as arguably the premier route-runner of his generation soothes concerns that come naturally to Vikings fans. And with Nailor and Jackson looking shaky in the first joint practice with the Patriots, it alleviates nothing. We shall see.<\/p>\n Then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on. And you cast your fears\u2026aside? Splitting the uprights from 38 and 48 yards against the Texans. Perfect on XPs. Going 5-for-5 in the August 13th practice, boosting<\/a> his training camp conversion rate to 83 percent (24 for 29).<\/p>\n