The Minnesota Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon by a score of 24-23 and got the monkey off of Kevin O’Connell’s back . They made moves late in the game to get the win on a 37-yard field goal by rookie kicker Will Reichard.
When you break down preseason games, it’s an interesting proposition. During the regular season, the best players will play the most snaps where in the preseason, it’s a vessel to give young players reps and opportunities to shine.
With that in mind, it provides a level of intrigue when looking at the snap counts. How did they break down at each position on defense?
UDFAs Bo Richter and Andre Carter II highlight
Andre Carter II: 33
Owen Porter: 28
Jihad Ward: 23
Dallas Turner: 22
Bo Richter: 20
Pat Jones II: 12
Richter and Carter played the most snaps of anyone on Saturday and the former paid major dividends. He recorded a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit and looked like an NFL player.
The other standout was Turner who also recorded his first sack by ghost move left tackle Andrus Peat. This was a day for the rookies to shine and they did just that.
Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez shine
Jalen Redmond: 25Levi Drake Rodriguez: 25Jaquelin Roy: 20Taki Taimani: 19James Lynch: 18Tyler Manoa: 17Harrison Phillips: 11Jonathan Bullard: 11Jonah Williams: 9
Are the Vikings going to have a rookie in their defensive line rotation? It certainly feels that way, especially after Rodriguez stood out in both practices and in the game. He got a pass breakup and a sack as a looper with his motion constantly running hot.
Redmond also shined but it’s not a performance that will show up on the stat sheet. He did all the dirty work for the Vikings on Saturday holding the fort while others got the shine. That’s what the Vikings need on the defensive line: stalwart players who are willing to do the dirty work..
Brian Asamoah II gets major run
Brian Asamoah II: 39
Dallas Gant: 27
Kamu Grugier-Hill: 20
Ivan Pace Jr.: 19
Blake Cashman: 14
Asamoah played a lot of snaps on Saturday afternoon which can be taken one of two ways.
- Asamoah is on the chopping block
- Asamoah is getting much-needed reps
After the first two seasons, Asamoah has dealt with a lot of injuries. It’s hurt his potential last season. Now, it didn’t help that he doesn’t fit perfectly what Brian Flores wants to do, but he’s flashed so far during training camp practices. That could elevate him to being the third linebacker on this roster.
Dwight McGlothern receives major opportunity
Jay Ward: 37
Dwight McGlothern: 28
Akayleb Evans: 20
Duke Shelley: 19
Fabian Moreau: 16
Jaylin Williams: 15
Byron Murphy Jr.: 14
Jacobi Francis: 9
A.J. Green: 9
Ward played mostly cornerback on Saturday and it gave the Vikings a good look at what he would look like playing outside cornerback. They might want to move him back to safety, but it’s important to have gotten that information.
McGlothernd started earning a chance with the first team during practice last week. He rewarded them with a pass breakup on the first play on Brandon Powell. He has a chance to continue making waves over the next few weeks to make the roster.
Theo Jackson plays major snaps
Theo Jackson: 49Bobby McCain: 43
Jay Ward: 37
Lewis Cine: 27
Josh Metellus: 14
Camryn Bynum: 14
During training camp, we’ve talked a lot about how Jackson is a starter who just happens to be the fourth safety on the depth chart. It was interesting to see him get such an extensive run. However, with Ward playing cornerback, they were limited in who could be on the field so it’s probably a nothing burger.
