Hopefully the Vikings are saving the good stuff for the regular season because this entire preseason has been warm dog shit

CFIAvike wrote:

Hopefully the Vikings are saving the good stuff for the regular season because this entire preseason has been warm dog shit

I was just going to say its a damn good thing I don't put any stock in preseason games because wowzer.....its been a stinker in preseason. Brutal. What could the coaches have possibly gotten out of those shit shows of games? I really do hate preseason.

Kevin O'Connell discusses upcoming roster decisions following preseason game 3 pic.twitter.com/qjxljWAVa0

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 29, 2026

Kevin O'Connell on what he's seen from the Vikings' punters pic.twitter.com/8WHxsf9otE

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 29, 2026

. @chazchambliss is that guy. pic.twitter.com/JCNK94mXRW

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 29, 2026

Dillon Bell had a free TD pic.twitter.com/8L72UniMBF

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 29, 2026

#Vikings QB Max Brosmer tonight:

• 20/35 Passing
• 165 Yards
• 69.3 QBR pic.twitter.com/joJoqV2mJf

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 29, 2026

How ineffective is Max Brosmer vs 3rd and 4th teamers? He completed only 57% of his passes (and most were check-downs and less than 8 yards from the line of scrimmage. He had 165 yards, NO INTs and NO TDs for a QB rating of 69. Is he Practice Squad? Maybe, but not #3.

— VikeFans (@VikeFans) August 29, 2026

Major takeaways from the Vikings' preseason loss vs. Broncos @AtoZSportsNFL https://t.co/RU9puewWQE

— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) August 29, 2026

Minnesota Vikings’ preseason finale sheds light on multiple spots up for grabs on final 53-man roster

The final preseason game wasn’t great for the Minnesota Vikings, but it did shine light on a few position battles.

In the final preseason game of the year, the Minnesota Vikings fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 34-6. It exposed the depth at multiple position groups, and those deficiencies were a major reason why the Vikings weren’t able to get the win.

While the offense stalled out a lot in the red zone, they were able to move the ball consistently down the field. It just didn’t result in enough points. Going into cutdown day this weekend, here’s what we learned.

Gavin Bartholomew showcases his athleticism

This was a big game for the Vikings to parse out the tight end position. After T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver, there is a hole at TE3, and the hope is one of those players can develop into a contributor long-term.

Bartholomew looked the part fro man athleticism standpoint. He caught five passes for 25 yards, showing his athleticism on a screen pass where he was very shifty in the open field. I think he’s likely done enough to win the TE3 job overall, but time will tell.

Jacob Thomas and Jacob Roberts suffer injuries

Early in the first quarter, the Vikings defense was struggling against the Broncos offense. They were finding some success on the back end stopping deep shots. Charles Demmings had a nice PBU earlier in the drive, but it was a later shot to the sideline that resonated more.

Thomas, who was having a fantastic training camp, went for a ball and suffered an ankle injury. It looked pretty rough live and he didn’t return. Hopefully, we get a positive update on Thomas after the game.

Roberts left the game with a knee injury, and the training staff told head coach Kevin O’Connell when he was mic’d up on the broadcast that they were looking at him for an ACL injury. Hopefully, both players will be healthy enough to potentially play Week 1, becuase they will likely make the team if the injuries aren’t too bad.

Edge depth is a real concern

Going into the preseason, the depth at edge rusher was a concern, and that hasn’t gone away. Nobody is concerned at all with Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, but if either guys goes down, it could be a massive issue. You can’t ask these guys to play 100% of snaps, so even in those situations when they take breathers, it could be rough.

This game doesn’t make you feel any better about the depth at the position. You might be asking yourself “why would the final preseason game factor in?” Simple: Tyler Batty, Bo Richter, and Chaz Chambliss are your depth players at edge who are likely to make the roster. They need to prioritize finding a veteran at that spot to fortify a front that has talent, but needs a little extra.

The #Vikings fell to the Broncos Friday night in the preseason finale.@tatumeverett and @nacholeber had the full postgame breakdown. pic.twitter.com/IAZkn4h7P5

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 29, 2026

Max Brosmer’s uneven night leaves his Vikings future uncertain

Max Brosmer took over for Wentz in the second quarter Friday and finished the game.

The former Gophers quarterback had an efficient stretch — 4-of-5 for 51 yards — to push the Vikings into the red zone just before halftime, but inconsistency continued to plague him. He overthrew an open target in the end zone, took a delay of game penalty and had to throw away a designed quick pass to running back Demond Claiborne, leading to a field goal.

Brosmer, 25, credited Wentz for becoming a mentor over the past year. Brosmer said he has gravitated toward Wentz due to his professionalism.

“Someone who was once the top quarterback in the world,” Brosmer said, “and now he’s here doing this and hasn’t stopped grinding one bit.”

Now Brosmer can only wait to see where he ends up with roster cuts looming on Sunday.

“It’s kind of surrendering the results,” Brosmer said. “Everything’s going to happen the way it’s supposed to. It’s a really hard mentality to live by. ... Wherever the wind blows me, whether it’s here or somewhere else, that’s what’s meant to happen for me.”

Strib

Vikings’ 53-man roster cuts loom

Coaches and players arrived back in Minnesota around 4 a.m. Saturday, leaving team brass with about 37 hours to form the initial 53-man roster.

The NFL’s cut deadline is two days earlier than normal — it’s typically the first Tuesday after the final preseason week — due to the league scheduling an international game in Week 1; the Rams and 49ers play in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10.

The Vikings could begin trimming the roster on Saturday. Up to 16 players can rejoin the practice squad if they clear waivers.

“We were able to have a lot of the conversations this past week,” O’Connell said. “I’ll probably end up sitting next to [general manager Nolan Teasley] on the flight home, and then we’ll be up and at it early.”

O’Connell added it’s “not out of the question” that the Vikings could keep all four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, “but at the same time, we have to do what’s best for our team. That will definitely be part of the conversation.”

Vikings get a preview of Denver’s altitude challenge

The many Vikings players who did not play against the Broncos got a workout earlier Friday at a local rugby field, O’Connell said, which can be a “great precursor” to the November trip to Mexico City, where they’ll play roughly 7,300 feet above sea level.

“Tremendous hosts, they had a great setup for us,” O’Connell said. “We worked those guys for the better part of an hour and a half, and got a lot of work done. We did something similar last year in Nashville, but to get the altitude and get to have these guys feel on a pretty significant work day what that felt like, I think it’ll be a great precursor.”

Strib

#Vikings OLB/FB @chaz_chambliss pulled out the ROCK THE BABY CELLY after his 1st down reception! 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/jssc293m3b

— Vikes\/erified (@VikesVV) August 29, 2026