Things I Care About From the 2nd Preseason Game
Aug 21, 2022 20:13:15 GMT -6
Funkytown, PurpleKoolaid, and 4 more like this
Post by MidwinterViking on Aug 21, 2022 20:13:15 GMT -6
The game was boring, so it was important for me to remind myself of what I actually cared about going into the game. In order what I wanted was:
1) Injuries to core players
2) Individual performance of guys that have a good chance to play more than 30% of snaps this season
3) Looking for backups that might be able to make a rotational play
4) General aggression from the defense after they looked so passive last year
5) The QB2 battle
6) Stat lines
7) Final score
Through that lens, the game wasn’t nearly as bad as it felt watching it.
1) The core players didn’t play… so, I guess: yay! In a perfect world even if Peterson doesn’t decline due to age and Dantzler continues his ascent, there will still be snaps for Booth jr. so his injury has meaning, but in the grand scheme of things CB 3 missing a week or two as the team makes cuts isn’t a massive loss.
2) Here’s the ranking of core guys that I actually care about for the rotational guys
2.1 - Lewis Cine
2.2 - Ed Ingram
2.3 - Ihmir Smith-Marsette (as a punt returner only)
2.4 - Andrew Booth Jr.
2.5 - DJ Wonnum / Patrick Jones / OLB3
2.6 - Whoever lined up in the slot since Chandon Sullivan is a bit shaky.
That’s it. If they’re not on this list, I don’t really care if they screw up since I’m not counting on them for anything anyways. Anyone else will need to really flash something to make me care. So I’m going to limit my analysis to just this list:
2.1 - Cine - Pretty good, his speed translated to the field. On re-watch, I did maybe see one or two plays where he broke the wrong way, but I’ll take his game speed over any downside.
2.2 - Ingram - All I remembered from the game live was the sack he gave up. But watching his plays, he was wrecking the guy across from him. Very solid.
2.3 - Smith-Marsette - Could not have gone any worse. He was in there to practice 1 thing: catching the ball on kicks. He dropped the opening kickoff. Fumbled a punt with super careless ball control. Declined to catch a kink in the endzone (the thing he was practicing).
2.4 - Booth Jr. - Pre-injury he was ok. I’m not going any better than that, not terrible, not great. But for a rookie CB, that’s about all I can hope for.
2.5 - Patrick Jones - was out there playing some coverage snaps and doing ok at it. He’s just covering a zone and blasing anyone who comes at him out of the backfield, but he looked aggressive. Wonnum held his own. Smile and nod for this pair.
2.6 - Nate Harriston - shrug. I guess he’s better than Mackenzie Alexander.
All in with this group that’s 3 spots (Cine, Ingram, and the OLB combo) I’m happy with vs 1 (Smith-Marsette) that really screwed up.
3) Did anyone flash anything? This category is almost all upside because screw ups don’t matter until the guy in front of them misses time (and projecting injuries in season is loser talk). Even so, there were a few that looked good:
3.1 - Brian Asamoah was everywhere. I loved his speed and aggression.
3.2 - TY McGill. No, he’s not the next Aaron Donald, but he’s not going to be asked to do that. But, if he’s asked to come in and spell Armon Watts with a high motor, I’m happy enough with him doing that.
3.3 - Kene Nwangwu - Not for his rushing total, that stunk. But he was coming in and lining up at the widest receiver slot and stretching defenses deep. He could enable some formations that get the Vikings some great matchups with his speed out there.
4) Aggression from the defense. I really only care about this in the first half, since the number of players on the field that will make the team on the field in the 2nd half is so low. The Vikings handed the 49ers two turnovers in Viking territory. For aggression it looked like the team was fast to the ball. I’ll take two field goals on seven drives defended in the first half. The Vikings won the part of the game I allegedly cared about 7-6 on the back of their defense.
5) QB2 battle -The Vikings will have a QB2, that much is certain. I don’t much care who.
6) Stats - I can confirm, stats were recorded.
7) Final Score - yes, the score is officially final. The outcome of the game was not protested by either team, so that’s good.
1) Injuries to core players
2) Individual performance of guys that have a good chance to play more than 30% of snaps this season
3) Looking for backups that might be able to make a rotational play
4) General aggression from the defense after they looked so passive last year
5) The QB2 battle
6) Stat lines
7) Final score
Through that lens, the game wasn’t nearly as bad as it felt watching it.
1) The core players didn’t play… so, I guess: yay! In a perfect world even if Peterson doesn’t decline due to age and Dantzler continues his ascent, there will still be snaps for Booth jr. so his injury has meaning, but in the grand scheme of things CB 3 missing a week or two as the team makes cuts isn’t a massive loss.
2) Here’s the ranking of core guys that I actually care about for the rotational guys
2.1 - Lewis Cine
2.2 - Ed Ingram
2.3 - Ihmir Smith-Marsette (as a punt returner only)
2.4 - Andrew Booth Jr.
2.5 - DJ Wonnum / Patrick Jones / OLB3
2.6 - Whoever lined up in the slot since Chandon Sullivan is a bit shaky.
That’s it. If they’re not on this list, I don’t really care if they screw up since I’m not counting on them for anything anyways. Anyone else will need to really flash something to make me care. So I’m going to limit my analysis to just this list:
2.1 - Cine - Pretty good, his speed translated to the field. On re-watch, I did maybe see one or two plays where he broke the wrong way, but I’ll take his game speed over any downside.
2.2 - Ingram - All I remembered from the game live was the sack he gave up. But watching his plays, he was wrecking the guy across from him. Very solid.
2.3 - Smith-Marsette - Could not have gone any worse. He was in there to practice 1 thing: catching the ball on kicks. He dropped the opening kickoff. Fumbled a punt with super careless ball control. Declined to catch a kink in the endzone (the thing he was practicing).
2.4 - Booth Jr. - Pre-injury he was ok. I’m not going any better than that, not terrible, not great. But for a rookie CB, that’s about all I can hope for.
2.5 - Patrick Jones - was out there playing some coverage snaps and doing ok at it. He’s just covering a zone and blasing anyone who comes at him out of the backfield, but he looked aggressive. Wonnum held his own. Smile and nod for this pair.
2.6 - Nate Harriston - shrug. I guess he’s better than Mackenzie Alexander.
All in with this group that’s 3 spots (Cine, Ingram, and the OLB combo) I’m happy with vs 1 (Smith-Marsette) that really screwed up.
3) Did anyone flash anything? This category is almost all upside because screw ups don’t matter until the guy in front of them misses time (and projecting injuries in season is loser talk). Even so, there were a few that looked good:
3.1 - Brian Asamoah was everywhere. I loved his speed and aggression.
3.2 - TY McGill. No, he’s not the next Aaron Donald, but he’s not going to be asked to do that. But, if he’s asked to come in and spell Armon Watts with a high motor, I’m happy enough with him doing that.
3.3 - Kene Nwangwu - Not for his rushing total, that stunk. But he was coming in and lining up at the widest receiver slot and stretching defenses deep. He could enable some formations that get the Vikings some great matchups with his speed out there.
4) Aggression from the defense. I really only care about this in the first half, since the number of players on the field that will make the team on the field in the 2nd half is so low. The Vikings handed the 49ers two turnovers in Viking territory. For aggression it looked like the team was fast to the ball. I’ll take two field goals on seven drives defended in the first half. The Vikings won the part of the game I allegedly cared about 7-6 on the back of their defense.
5) QB2 battle -The Vikings will have a QB2, that much is certain. I don’t much care who.
6) Stats - I can confirm, stats were recorded.
7) Final Score - yes, the score is officially final. The outcome of the game was not protested by either team, so that’s good.
... and neither is this Chris guy.