The Vikings preseason ended Friday night the same way a lot of final tuneups do for a team not showing its full hand: with starters resting, depth players taking the snaps and a result that quickly turned lopsided. Denver beat Minnesota 34-6, and the game left the Vikings with more questions about health and roster spots than answers.
That is why Walter Rouse drew attention from readers looking for the Vikings' final preseason read. Carson Wentz opened at quarterback and played two series before giving way to Max Brosmer, while Kevin O'Connell and Sean Payton kept starters on the sideline on both sides of the ball. Wentz finished 3-for-4 for 15 yards, with his longest completion a 6-yard gain to Gavin Bartholomew, and Brosmer later moved the offense 55 yards into the red zone before the drive stalled and Will Reichard finished it with a 28-yard field goal after a 4:00 march.
Denver answered with far more efficiency. Sam Ehlinger helped push the Broncos 65 yards in 1:08, went 4-for-5 on the drive and finished 15-for-20 for 233 yards and three scores. Jaleel McLaughlin added a 20-yard catch-and-run touchdown, while Brosmer ended his night 20-of-35 for 166 yards. The final margin reflected the difference once both teams settled into their reserve-heavy rotations.
The sharpest concern came on defense. Jacob Thomas started for Minnesota and was slow to get up after landing out of bounds while defending a pass on the seventh play of the game. Thomas had been one of the more encouraging camp stories, including an interception in his NFL debut at New York, but this night ended with him leaving injured and Kahlef Hailassie stepping in before recording an interception of his own in the second quarter. Jacob Roberts also left the game with an injury, adding another name to a group the Vikings may need to monitor before the regular season opens.
Special teams, meanwhile, offered no clean separation. Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson each punted three times for 156 yards, and both finished with a 52.0 average. Hekker’s long was 57 yards and Thorson’s was 58, which leaves the competition tied on average and still unresolved on distance. For a team trying to narrow down the back end of the roster, that is as close to a coin flip as the preseason can produce. The Vikings now leave Friday with the game over, the injuries hanging over the tape and a few final decisions still waiting to be made.
