The Minnesota Vikings failed in the two minute drill and fell to the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 18-17.
The game was the tale of two halves. The Vikings dominated the first quarter with 14 points within the first 14 plays of the game. After that, the Cardinals slowly crept back into the game thanks to inconsistencies by the Vikings on both sides of the ball.
Throughout the course of the game, the Vikings had some standout players and those who struggled. Here are the studs and duds from the final preseason game against the Cardinals.
Stud: S Jay Ward
The Vikings defense didn’t take long to make their impact felt. Jay Ward wanted to make an impact and he did on the second play of the game. Ward blitzed on a Bengal Hawk blitz and a strip sack of rookie quarterback Clayton Tune. Ward was also swarming on special teams and looked every bit as fast is advertised.
Stud: DT Jaquelin Roy
After not playing in the first two preseason games, Jaquelin Roy made his mark in the first half. He was crashing the offensive line on running plays, with his biggest impact coming on zone runs. This is the type of impact is what the Vikings had hoped to see from the rookie from LSU.
Dud: WR Thayer Thomas
The Vikings wide receiver room has been really good and competitive this preseason, including Thayer Thomas. His route running has been excellent, but the mistakes have compiled and continued on Saturday. He muffed his second punt of the preseason and that is not a good sign for his chances to both make the team and practice squad.
Stud: QB Jaren Hall
With a rookie quarterback, you want to see growth game over game. How do you fix the things that you struggle with? Are you showing growth in the areas where you excelled? After his first two preseason games, there were mixed reviews of Jaren Hall, but he was excellent against the Cardinals.
He completed 17-of-28 passes for 17 yards, a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 20 yards on five carries. What was really impressive was how Hall navigated the pocket and worked through his progressions down the field. Hall looked like a seasoned professional out there and not a rookie. That’s a big step forward for him and a great sign for Hall moving forward.
Dud: CB C.J. Coldon Jr.
The cornerback position has been really contentious all preseason. There are multiple players who are likely to make the practice squad, but this isn’t going to get you one of those spots. C.J. Coldon Jr. was in coverage on a blitz and allowed wide receiver Davion Davis to get behind him where he caught a touchdown pass that had about five seconds of hangtime. Later on, Coldon was called for pass interference on fourth and two. Those are the plays that you cannot allow.
Stud: OLB Benton Whitley
The Vikings edge rushers are an intriguing group. After Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport, they are all relatively similar. Benton Whitley has made his presence felt against the Cardinals. He has gotten pressure on the quarterback on multiple occasions and played it smart in contain when he batted down a pass. The depth of his edge room has some talent in it and Whitley has proven that he’s work rostering.
