The Athletic has live coverage of Eagles vs. Vikings on Thursday Night Football.
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings cannot afford to lose cornerbacks. The position group was a question mark prior to camp and it remains one, even if players like Byron Murphy Jr. and Akayleb Evans have performed well. And this is why a scene Thursday received so much attention.
Advertisement
Mekhi Blackmon, the Vikings’ third-round pick who has gotten most of the first-team reps during training camp, landed awkwardly during a one-on-one rep. Trainers visited with the cornerback, then walked him to the medical tent. He did not return to practice. His status is unknown.
Nothing from Thursday’s joint practice with the Titans mattered more to the Vikings’ 2023 hopes than Blackmon. Still, a lot happened. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Jon Krawczynski discussed what they saw and what they’re keeping their eyes on heading into Saturday night’s preseason game.
Most interesting big-picture takeaway from this week
Lewis: Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is not afraid to do whatever it takes to put his best players on the field. If that means three safeties, so be it. If that means three linebackers, he’ll do that, too.
But it won’t be random. Each week, as Minnesota assesses the opposition’s tendencies, he will concoct a plan. In some cases, he will utilize three edge rushers on the line of scrimmage. He might deploy Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus and another safety — like Lewis Cine or Theo Jackson — all at once. I do not believe these were joint practice one-offs.
Flores faces a tall task trying to transform a youthful defense that ranked 27th in DVOA last season. One tool in his belt will be throwing personnel groupings at opponents that will at least force them to answer questions.
Krawczynski: We were watching the end of practice Thursday, and it seemed like the Titans were a little caught off guard by the blitzing the Vikings were doing in certain situations. Kind of like, “Really dude?” But I get it. Flores is trying to change not just the scheme but the swagger his defense rolls with. If it seems a little over the top to be throwing the kitchen sink at Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis in a training camp practice, well, there’s a purpose to it.
Advertisement
The Vikings have a lot of flushing to do from the defensive ineptitude of last season. That means instilling a more aggressive mentality, and he’s empowering the players. He said after practice Thursday that he is sometimes allowing Harrison Smith or Jordan Hicks to call the defensive plays.
“It’s not my defense, it’s theirs,” Flores said. “So I want them to take ownership. I think a good way to do that is to let them call it sometimes.”
"It's not my defense, it's theirs. So I want them to take ownership, I think a good way to do that is to let them call it sometimes." Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores on letting Jordan Hicks and Harrison Smith call the plays. pic.twitter.com/TLo3KxQx0U
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 17, 2023
To me, this is the single most important factor going into the season. Were last year’s issues rooted more in Ed Donatell’s scheme and approach or a lack of talent on the roster? That answer should be pretty clear early this season.
Player you’re most looking forward to watching
Lewis: Ty Chandler. Can the running back continue his march toward securing not only the backup running back spot but also a share of the regular-season snaps? It seems like he’s on his way. He impressed the Vikings’ coaching staff with his performance against the Seattle Seahawks, and he has transferred that performance to the practice field this week. On Thursday, Chandler stood firm in pass protection — another sign of his potential reliability. Stay healthy and continue to run as hard as he has, and Chandler should put himself in prime position for touches come September.
Krawczynski: Trishton Jackson. I’m sure there are good reasons he’s further down the depth chart right now, but the dude just looks like a player. Good size, good hands, and a knack for making plays when he has an opportunity. He was at it again Thursday, catching at least three touchdowns, including a jaw-dropping snag in the corner of the end zone during a red zone period. I want to see if he can parlay his good plays in practice into the game, and he should get plenty of chances Saturday night.
Advertisement
Player with the most to prove
Lewis: Jalen Reagor. He caught a team-high four passes against the Seahawks and filled in for Jordan Addison this week as the team’s No. 3 receiver. With Jalen Nailor still nursing a lower left leg injury, Reagor might be in line for a spot on the 53-man regardless. I still think he must earn the spot, especially with Brandon Powell’s reliability throughout training camp. Reagor cannot afford to line up in the wrong place or run the wrong route. He’s been in the offense too long for those types of mistakes.
Krawczynski: Lewis Cine. I know he’s coming back from a major injury and patience is required as he works to get his legs back underneath him. But it would be nice to start seeing him put some things together. So far, he has looked a little heavy-legged. Watching him in a special teams drill Wednesday, he had some difficulty keeping up with the smaller, quicker Titans he was tasked with blocking. It’s all understandable. He shouldn’t be expected to be back at 100 percent in his early days of camp or his first preseason game. But other safeties like Bynum, Metellus and Theo Jackson are having some really good moments. Cine could use a couple himself.
A long time coming.
Good to have you back on the field, @LewisCine. pic.twitter.com/ElDDif5knk
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 17, 2023
Which player injury (besides Blackmon) are you most concerned about?
Lewis: T.J. Hockenson. An ear infection has sidelined him for most of the competitive periods of camp the last few weeks. He even admitted that the illness has affected his equilibrium. Whereas Ivan Pace Jr. has established a level of trust in the event Brian Asamoah does not return, the Vikings do not have an obvious replacement for Hockenson. Johnny Mundt is reliable and Josh Oliver will be a force as a blocker, but neither player can navigate passing concepts like Hockenson. Minnesota has no reason to rush this. The team’s starters are not likely to play much in the preseason anyway. But Hockenson’s presence is too important to the offense to not select him here.
Krawczynski: Kene Nwangwu. The writing is on the wall. It seems like every other day the Vikings are bringing another running back in for a workout: Kareem Hunt, Mike Davis, etc. Some have said it’s because the Vikings have concerns about Alexander Mattison as the starter, but I don’t believe that’s the case. I think it’s a direct reflection of their views of the depth behind Mattison. As Alec pointed out, Chandler is having some nice moments, including in the preseason opener in Seattle. Nwangwu has not been on the field yet. He’s a special, special kick returner, but that position has become less and less of a focus across the league. I was hoping to see Nwangwu get a real role in the backfield as well and see what he could do with that athleticism and speed. But we just haven’t been able to get any glimpses so far, and he’s running out of time.
Position group you’re keeping an eye on
Lewis: Safety. How many can the Vikings take for the 53-man? Smith, Bynum, Metellus and Cine are locks. Adofo-Mensah picked Jay Ward in the fourth round, so it’s hard to fathom letting him go. And then there is Theo Jackson, who got time Thursday with the first team. I’m mainly interested to see how Cine, Ward and Jackson are used Saturday and if any of the three separate from the rest.
Krawczynski: Offensive line. The group got manhandled by the Titans at practice Wednesday, with Jeffrey Simmons having his way and barking at them all day long. It wasn’t as glaring Thursday, but it does seem clear that coaches would like to see the offensive line assert itself a little more forcefully. Coach Kevin O’Connell said Wednesday that he can’t make any blanket evaluations yet while Brian O’Neill is still working his way back from an Achilles injury. O’Connell said he expects O’Neill to be back on the field next week against the Cardinals, and that will be a big help for the unit overall.
Under-the-radar storyline you’re following
Lewis: How about some love for Thayer Thomas? The undrafted rookie wide receiver from N.C. State snagged a pass from Nick Mullens in the 11-on-11 period Thursday. Afterward, Justin Jefferson nudged him, then offered some tips. Thomas appeared to misplay a punt return in Seattle, but overall, he has turned in a commendable camp. Last year, the Vikings kept five wide receivers. Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Addison and Powell feel like locks. Trishton Jackson has also put together a great camp. And yet it feels like Thomas deserves more praise than he has gotten.
Advertisement
Krawczynski: Ryan Wright was absolutely crushing his punts in practice Wednesday. One of them appeared to travel almost 90 yards, smoking the Titans return men. O’Connell did point out that he had the wind at his back, but it wasn’t just the distance that was impressive. Wright was using different techniques to change the spin and the flight of the ball: some tight spirals, some end-over-end floppers. It was, no joke, maybe the most fun thing to watch in an otherwise dull practice. Hey, what’s more under the radar than the punter?
(Photo of Trishton Jackson: Matt Krohn / USA Today)
The Football 100, the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Pre-order it here.