8 Concerns for the Minnesota Vikings Heading into the Final Preseason Game

In Friday's third preseason game against San Diego, the Vikings faced a Chargers team that treated it more like a fourth exhibition game, with 18 players either resting or unable to play.

In last Wednesday's press conference, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier indicated that the team was preparing for the Chargers as if it were a regular-season game. If so, let's hope this is not a preview of what is to come.

The Vikings, with the many of the starters playing the entire first half, looked uninspired. They bumbled their way through a little more than three-and-a-half quarters and left trailing the Chargers 9-3.

The Vikings did have more passing yards (225 to 163) and rushing yards (101 to 78) than the Chargers. However, that advantage was wiped out by four Vikings' turnovers, three lost fumbles and a Christian  Ponder interception.

Jared Allen and Jasper Brinkley, who each had two sacks, and third-string quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who led the offense to the Vikings' only touchdown, stood out.

Entering the game with only 6:04 left in the fourth quarter, Rosenfels completed all six of his passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.

The problem is, there are more concerns than bright spots as the Vikings head into their fourth preseason game Thursday against the Texans in Houston.

No. 8: Rookie Kicker Blair Walsh

There have been plenty of surprises in the kicking game. 

First, the Vikings surprised us by drafting kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round.

Second, they promptly released Ryan Longwell, a 15-year veteran who had been with the team the previous six years.   

And third, they did not bring in any competition for Walsh in training camp, making it his job to lose. 

So far, Walsh, who converted almost 74 percent of his field goals at Georgia, has been all right, making eight of 10 field goals. He has hit a long of 47 yards, while missing from 45 and 49. 

Walsh provides an upgrade on kickoffs. Seven of his 15 kicks have resulted in a touchback, and he's had an average return of only 20.9 yards. Last year ,Longwell only had 19 touchbacks in 77 kickoffs. 

Here's hoping there's at least one more surprise—Walsh handles the pressure and converts on some game-winning field goals in 2012. 

No 7: Can Jerome Simpson Be the No. 1 Receiver?

In his first two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jerome Simpson only caught one pass. That's not very encouraging when you consider Cincinnati selected him in the second round of the 2008 draft.

In 2010, he finished with 20 catches for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Last year, he was third on the Bengals with 50 catches and four touchdowns.

Head coach Leslie Frazier did not elect to play Simpson in the third preseason game since he will open the season with a three-game suspension.

Simpson is not to practice with the Vikings over those three weeks and isn't allowed any contact with the Vikings organization.

With only three catches in the preseason, I'm concerned about his effectiveness once he does return in Week 4.

He may catch 100 passes from quarterback Christian Ponder in practice, but it's not the same as live action in a game, when the intensity, speed and physicality are all cranked up. 

No. 6: Wide Receiver

A bigger concern for the offense might be who will quarterback Christian Ponder be able to target before Jerome Simpson returns in Week 4. 

Percy Harvin still remains the Vikings' best offensive weapon, but without another receiver to garner some attention, teams will be able to roll extra coverage toward Harvin.

Through three games, no wide receiver has caught more than three passes. 

Even after releasing wide receivers Kamar Jorden, A.J. Love, Kerry Taylor and Bryan Walters, the Vikings have seven wide receivers on the roster, with Jarius Wright and Simpson as the only newcomers.

On paper, it doesn't appear that the Vikings have done enough to improve one of their weak spots from 2011.

No. 5: Has Toby Gerhart Gotten Enough Carries?

The plan is for third-year running back Toby Gerhart to open the season as the starter until the Vikings are convinced that Adrian Peterson is fully capable of handling the duties.

So far in three preseason games, Gerhart has only 17 rushes for 79 yards.

If the plan is to rest the starters against the Texans in the final preseason game, that may not be enough work to prepare Gerhart to carry the ball 15 to 20 times a game. 

I realize there's a fine line between making sure a player is ready and being cautious to prevent injuries in a meaningless game. But has Gerhart gotten enough carries to be ready physically when the hitting starts in Week 1?

No. 4: Depth at Linebacker

With two interceptions for touchdowns against the Bills in Week 2 of the preseason, rookie linebacker Audie Cole has become a fan favorite. 

Spectacular play in the preseason, especially in the fourth quarter when the game is full of deep reserves, does not often correlate to greatness in the NFL. 

For the Vikings' seventh-round draft pick, Cole is still on the bubble to make this club, even with how thin the team is at linebacker. 

On a positive note, Jasper Brinkley has looked good, making eight tackles and recording two sacks as the replacement at middle linebacker for long-time starter E.J. Henderson.

Brinkley joins second-year starter Erin Henderson and Chad Greenway, the Vikings' leading tackler since 2007, to round out the starting linebackers.

After these three, the only player with any starting experience is Marvin Mitchell, who has three starts over five seasons.  

No. 3: Christian Ponder

After the first two preseason games, second-year quarterback Christian Ponder looked like he had benefited from a full offseason of OTAs and a full training camp. 

Through the first two games, he was 14-of-22 for 216 yards and a touchdown, which was good for a passer rating of 111.2.  Against the Bills in Week 2 of the preseason, he completed 10 of 13 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.

The most encouraging sign up to that point was his protection of the football.

Against the Chargers last Friday, he finished 9-of-16 for 115 yards and threw an ill-advised pass that resulted in an interception. As a result, his passer rating dropped to 86.6 through three games.

It might be a good idea to give Ponder a series or two in the final preseason game against the Texans. Even their second-team defense will provide a good challenge. Houston finished with the third-best defense against the pass last season.   

No. 2: Cornerback

The Vikings' defense desperately needs depth at cornerback. 

After releasing rookie free agents Corey Gatewood and Chris Stroud on Saturday, the Vikings still have nine cornerbacks on the roster.  

The projected starters are Antoine Winfield and Chris Cook, with Brandon Burton and Chris Carr as their backups.

Winfield and Cook didn't play against the Chargers Friday, and third-round draft pick Josh Robinson left the game in the second quarter after suffering a concussion.

Winfield and Cook have not seen much action this preseason, mostly in an attempt to keep them healthy for the regular season. This is understandable since the tandem has not been able to play an entire season together since Cook was drafted in 2010. 

But with such limited action, will these two be ready when the season opens on September 9th, especially if Leslie Frazier "rests" his starters in the last preseason game?

No. 1: Adrian Peterson

It might be a good idea to give Adrian Peterson at least one carry in the final preseason game against Texans.

He might as well get that first real hit out of the way as soon as possible. It's something that everyone, including Peterson himself, has to be concerned about.

All the running, sprinting, cutting and jumping in the world can't take the place of a hit in a football game.

I definitely understand the need to be careful with Peterson's left knee to make sure he is completely healed from the surgery less than nine months. That's especially true in a season the Vikings are not expected to win more than five or six games.

Yet, it would be good to know how Peterson feels after picking himself up off the ground, and how the knee feels, and whether he should be activated for Week 1.   

There's Still Plenty to Be Concerned About

There are plenty of other concerns as the Vikings head into the last preseason game. 

Whether or not the starters play against the Texans, there will be questions about their effectiveness once the season begins. 

The Vikings are hoping for contributions from their free agents. But two, tight end John Carlson and offensive guard Geoff Schwartz, have been unable to participate in the preseason.

The team's rookie class has been good and bad. Matt Kalil, Harrison Smith, Blair Walsh and Audie Cole  have made solid contributions, while injuries have wiped out or limited the play for Greg Childs and Josh Robinson.

This is the best time of the year for the Vikings. Like all teams, they are still undefeated in the regular season and all the hope of a promising turnaround is still intact.   

The problem is, it all could be shattered a couple of weeks into the regular season if Leslie Frazier doesn't have this team fully prepared to go once the season starts.