Vikings vs. Titans: Previewing Minnesota's Preseason Week 4 Matchup
NFL preseason games may not appear competitive or important from an outside perspective, but quite literally every snap during the month of August is critical. Only 58.8 percent of each team’s 90-man offseason roster will have the luxury of competing during Week 1 of the regular season, making the preseason the ultimate collection of do-or-die moments for the majority of professional football players.
How players perform during their allotted preseason snaps is taken very seriously, but the final score resulting from an entire game of preseason plays could not be more irrelevant to fans, coaches, players and professional football. Earning a win during the preseason is worth nothing more than a small confidence boost, but don’t bother telling that to head coach Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings.
Since taking over for Leslie Frazier following the 2013 season, Zimmer has rattled off eight consecutive preseason victories, dating back to an early August win over the Oakland Raiders during Week 1 of the 2014 preseason.
Zimmer has been very vocal about his hatred for losing throughout his tenure in Minnesota, but his nonchalant attitude and consistent focus on regular season preparation suggests he could stomach a preseason loss if ever forced to endure one.
“I just go with what they tell me to do,” Zimmer said, per Master Tesfatsion of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I think you probably would have to have more work against some other teams if they did shorten it (the preseason). I don’t know. I’m just a soldier. I do what they tell me.”
Regardless of significance, Zimmer will fly his 8-0 career preseason coaching record down to Nashville on Thursday for Minnesota’s regular season dress rehearsal matchup with rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans.
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
Time: 7:00 pm CT
TV: KMSP Fox 9 (Local)
Preseason Week 3 Results and Recap
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As previously noted, the Vikings will head down to Tennessee with a perfect 4-0 2015 preseason record, which includes a Hall of Fame game victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The most recent Zimmer-led preseason victory was earned over the Dallas Cowboys down in the heart of Texas.
Minnesota topped Dallas by a mostly-irrelevant final score of 28-14. The majority of the Vikings’ points were scored by a Taylor Heinicke-led third-string offense, but second-year starting signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater was responsible for the most memorable passing play of the night.
The Vikings began Week 3 of the preseason by putting together a lackluster 19-yard opening drive, which may have inspired offensive coordinator Norv Turner to be a little more creative on his second attempt. Following a couple of short completions, Vikings fans took in a beautiful moment of potential foreshadowing courtesy of Teddy Bridgewater and Mike Wallace.
With Wallace sprinting step-for-step down the right sideline alongside Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr, Bridgewater climbed up in the pocked and delivered a perfectly thrown 39-yard completion just moments before Dallas' defensive line made contact with him.
Despite maintaining good coverage on Wallace, Carr had no chance to defend the perfectly-placed Bridgewater pass. Minnesota's drive ultimately stalled a few downs later following a third-down sack by second-round rookie Randy Gregory.
The Vikings first-team offense failed to reach the end zone on two drives, but the first perfectly executed deep ball from Bridgewater to Wallace remains a significant takeaway. Placekicker Blair Walsh, who had missed three consecutive field goals, finally sent a 28-yard try through the uprights to get points on the board for Minnesota.
Walsh also connected on 45-yard attempt during the second quarter before reawakening plausible concern with a miss wide left on a 43-yard try to open up the fourth quarter. The Minnesota kicker has struggled to get himself in rhythm this preseason, converting just four of nine attempts, after signing a four-year, $14 million extension with the Vikings during the first day of training camp.
Tony Romo and Dallas’ first-team offense responded almost immediately following Walsh's successful 28-yard field goal attempt. The Cowboys signal-caller connected with Terrence Williams over the middle on a crossing pattern, and the talented pass-catcher stuck in Dez Bryant's shadow took care of the rest.
Williams shook free of an impending hit from Vikings free safety Harrison Smith, which caused strong safety Robert Blanton to lose his pursuit angle and opened up a wide-open running lane down the right sideline.
Linebacker Gerald Hodges put forth a strong effort to chase down Dallas' No. 2 receiver, but Williams’ outstanding speed made his try a lost cause, bolting into the end zone for a 60-yard score and likely inspiring a Hard Knocks-level explosion from Zimmer.
However, Minnesota did its part to quickly regain momentum—if such a thing exists in games in which the points don’t matter. Cordarrelle Patterson, once considered to be one of the most lethal weapons in the NFL, turned back the clock and reminded fans of his extraordinary talent with a 107-yard kick return for a touchdown.
Patterson took advantage of a Cowboys kick coverage error, bursting into a gaping hole on the right side of the field. Despite the mistake, Dallas still had a prime opportunity to bring down Minnesota’s kick return juggernaut, but Patterson made kicker Dan Bailey whiff badly with a lightning-fast juke and then dodged one final tackler coming up from behind before finishing the final 40 yards with his teammates cheering him on.
Backup running backs Dominique Williams and Joe Banyard added touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, and Heinicke connected with Chase Ford on a two-point conversion attempt to open up a 28-14 lead.
The 14-point advantage proved to be more than enough, and the Vikings coasted to consecutive preseason victory No. 8 under Zimmer.
News and Notes
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Vikings Trim Roster to 75
In order to meet the September 1 roster deadline, the Vikings parted ways with 11 players on Tuesday.
- RB Joe Banyard
- TE Brandon Bostick
- CB Jalil Carter
- CB Justin Coleman
- WR DaVaris Daniels
- OT Stephen Goodin
- LB Josh Kaddu
- WR Jordan Leslie
- DE Caesar Rayford
- DT Chrishon Rose
- CB Demarcus Van Dyke
The bulk release still left Minnesota one player over the league-assigned roster limit. As a result, a follow-up decision to waive journeyman quarterback Mike Kafka was announced separately. Minnesota then placed cornerback Josh Robinson on injured reserve and waived offensive tackle Carter Bykowski with an injury designation to finalize its 75-man roster, per ESPN's Ben Goessling.
The Vikings' first round of cuts did not yield any major surprises, but it did end running back Joe Banyard's three-year tenure with the team. Banyard, who fought his way through the road less traveled to the Vikings’ 53-man roster in 2014, took his first step toward the regular season spotlight by earning a practice squad spot in 2012.
In 2013, Banyard climbed even further up the NFL ladder, earning an active roster spot for three games. Following the announcement of Adrian Peterson's indefinite suspension early last season, Banyard was added to the Vikings' 53-man roster for the team's remaining 15 games.
He played sparingly behind then-rookie Jerick McKinnon and touchdown vulture Matt Asiata, but Banyard still finished the season with back-to-back 20-yard performances, a career-high of 88 rushing yards and a solid 4.2 per-carry average.
The decision to release Banyard still should not have come as much of a surprise, however, as the presence of a revitalized Peterson, a developing McKinnon and a goal line specialist in Asiata put the career backup at a major disadvantage from the beginning of training camp.
In addition to Banyard, the Vikings parted ways with local hero Brandon Bostick—the tight end who botched the onside kick recovery attempt that paved the way for the Seattle Seahawks' historic comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers during the 2014 NFC Championship.
Justin Coleman, an undersized defensive back by contemporary standards, was previously a standout playmaker at Tennessee before signing with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent. His potential to develop into a solid slot cornerback may make him a potential candidate to join Minnesota’s practice squad after the team finalizes its 53-man roster on September 5.
While the Vikings are already expected to boast a roster containing plenty of wide receiver depth, DaVaris Daniels, a standout at Notre Dame prior to parting ways with the program due to academic issues, is gifted with the type of raw potential teams will aim to store on their practice squads for developmental purposes.
Teddy Bridgewater Unlikely to Play Thursday
Following a fourth-consecutive strong showing against the Cowboys, Goessling noted that Bridgewater is likely to take a backseat to veteran Shaun Hill and undrafted rookie Taylor Heinicke during Minnesota’s final preseason contest.
“If Teddy Bridgewater is done for the preseason—and it’s quite possible he is—the Minnesota Vikings couldn’t have for asked for much more from their second-year quarterback,” Goessling wrote.
Considering that Bridgewater has already participated in four games—a complete 2015 preseason for every team except the Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers—it makes logical sense for Minnesota to view Bridgewater's preseason as complete and sit him down to ensure that he is 100-percent healthy for the team's Week 1 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
Assuming he is assigned with holding the clipboard against Tennessee, Bridgewater would finish August with 295 passing yards, one touchdown pass and an 82.9 completion percentage.
In addition to posting strong numbers, the second-year quarterback proved himself capable of making all of the throws necessary to run Turner’s offensive system effectively. Bridgewater regularly completed short and intermediate pass attempts throughout his four preseason appearances and connected with Wallace against the Cowboys on his lone pass attempt of 25-plus yards.
Zimmer Backtracks on Waynes Starting Week 1
Earlier this week, Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards stated that Minnesota is “aiming for” rookie cornerback Trae Waynes to start the team’s season opener.
Given his noticeable struggles throughout the majority of his first preseason, Edwards vocalizing confidence in Waynes came as a bit of a surprise. Zimmer quickly clarified the remark made by his assistant coach and also suggested that he wouldn't feel confident throwing the rookie cornerback into a starting role at this point.
“I read that, and I didn’t agree with what George said, to be honest with you,” Zimmer said, according to Chris Tomasson of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. “I think it was interpreted incorrectly. I think what he said, ‘that’s what we’re all wanting him to do, is we all wanted them to start,’ I don’t think he specifically meant Trae. So we’ll see where that goes.”
Waynes, whom Minnesota selected at No. 11 overall this past April, has battled consistent issues adapting to Zimmer's pattern-matching coverage scheme. His physical coverage style has also created problems, as he has been flagged for illegal contact on three different occasions.
According to Pro Football Focus, Waynes’ minus-4.6 preseason grade ranks third-worst among 2015 first-round picks behind only defensive tackle Malcom Brown (minus-5.2), who was drafted 32nd overall by the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints linebacker Stephone Anthony (minus-5.3), the No. 31 overall pick.
Pro Football Focus' rookie analysis also favors fellow first-round cornerbacks Kevin Johnson (minus-0.4), Marcus Peters (minus-1.0) and Byron Jones (plus-0.7) over Waynes, who has allowed eight receptions for 131 yards through four games.
Latest Injury News
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The Vikings are not required to produce a weekly injury report during the preseason, and given Zimmer’s strategic defensive personality, he is unlikely to expand on any current injury developments known to the public. As an alternative, here is a list of players who are candidates to miss Thursday's matchup due to injury, courtesy of Rotoworld.
| Player | Position | Injury |
| John Sullivan | OC | Back |
| Josh Robinson | CB | Pectoral |
| Phil Loadholt | OT | Achilles' |
| Casey Matthews | LB | Hip |
| MyCole Pruitt | TE | Ankle |
| Captain Munnerlyn | CB | Foot |
| Anthony Barr | LB | Knee |
| Jeff Locke | P | Ankle |
| Shamar Stephen | DT | Knee |
Minnesota is currently dealing with a laundry list of injuries to impact players, but only a few should stretch into the regular season. The Vikings lost starting right tackle Phil Loadholdt to a torn Achilles’ against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a devastating season-long injury that will likely force rookie fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings into starting Week 1.
Clemmings is not the only candidate to replace Loadholt, as rookie Tyrus Thompson, second-year Stanford product David Yankey, current starting right guard Mike Harris and rookie Austin Shepherd have all had their names floated around. With that said, Turner and Zimmer both stressed confidence in Clemmings, alluding to the notion that it is his job to lose.
Linebacker Casey Matthews, who was signed as a free agent this past offseason, is also expected to miss the entire 2015 season with a hip injury.
Punter Jeff Locke suffered an ankle injury against Dallas, creating a potential roster issue for Minnesota in the process. The Vikings, like most teams, do not roster a true backup option at punter. Expect a roster move to follow if Locke is forced to miss extended time.
Outside linebacker Anthony Barr (knee) and slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (foot) are two names to monitor moving forward, as both have missed practice on-and-off throughout the summer, with the severity of their injuries being reported to different degrees throughout training camp and into the preseason.
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Key Positional Matchups
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Vikings’ Defensive Secondary vs. QB Marcus Mariota
The Tennessee Titans selected former Oregon standout and 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. Early reports were very high on the rookie signal-caller, noting he had not thrown an interception for an extended period of time to begin training camp.
Mariota had a “welcome to the league” moment seconds into his preseason Week 1 debut against the Atlanta Falcons, losing a fumble during his opening position and later being picked off by Justin Durant.
He has since been turnover-free, completing 12 of 19 attempts for 168 yards, but he has not yet found the end zone through three games. Mariota’s final chance to first-hand rehearse a celebration for his first regular season touchdown pass will come against a formidable Minnesota secondary.
Cornerback Xavier Rhodes broke out in 2014, establishing himself as a stud under-the-radar cornerback, and safety Harrison Smith lost out on a trip to Hawaii due to not yet being a household name.
However, there is one glaring hole in the Vikings first-team secondary: Rookie cornerback Trae Waynes. Waynes has been exploited throughout the preseason, most embarassingly by fellow rookie and 2015 third-round Steelers draft selection Sammie Coates during the Hall of Fame game.
The former Spartan, who only allowed two passing touchdowns while in coverage over two seasons as a starter at Michigan State, will be forced to step up against his rookie counterpart. He has been targeted frequently throughout the preseason, and this shouldn't be expected to change anytime soon.
DE Everson Griffen vs. LT Taylor Lewan
Coming off a strong rookie season, Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan has quickly began to establish himself as Mariota’s blindside protection for the foreseeable future.
The importance of strong left tackle play is criminally underrated due to there being very little flash involved. The position not only requires significant size, strength and athleticism, but blindside protectors are asked to gain supremacy over some of the most gifted athletes that the NFL has to offer.
As Vikings fans have seen through Matt Kalil’s issues, an offensive line with a left tackle who does not pass protect well consistently has issues sustaining long drives, and deep pass attempts are essentially a life-or-death situation for the signal-caller.
Lewan will face dominant Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen in a matchup that is both a blessing and a curse. Griffen likely will not be on the field for more than two drives, but he only needed one play to make his presence felt against rookie Donovan Smith during Minnesota’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Both Griffen and Lewan will ultimately benefit from receiving challenging repetitions against quality counterparts. Moreover, building confidence through a dominant outing against a highly regarded left tackle (or defensive end) has a tendency to carryover into the next week—a boost Griffen could surely use with an impending Week 1 regular season matchup with longtime stud Joe Staley drawing close.
Matchup X-Factors
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Vikings X-Factor: RT T.J. Clemmings
Determining a X-Factor for a contest that is inherently irrelevant from a scoring perspective is no easy task. But, a strong showing from replacement right tackle T.J. Clemmings could go a long way toward helping the Vikings win when it counts.
Topping the Titans on the scoreboard isn't of the slightest bit of importance—even with Zimmer’s eight-game preseason win streak on the line—but building player confidence, inspiring trust from coaches and teammates and learning how to play like a professional through competing against the best football players in the world is a recipe for sustainable success if executed well.
The fourth-round rookie out of Pittsburgh possesses the necessary athleticism and size to take over Phil Loadholt’s starting role indefinitely, but consistently winning one-on-one matchups against veteran pass-rushers and being a critical piece of Minnesota's Adrian Peterson-led ground attack is a tall order.
Developing good footwork and efficient blocking habits during a meaningless contest and applying these improvements during the regular season could ultimately be the difference between winning and losing a meaningful game.
Vikings X-Factor: CB Trae Waynes
Two rookies possessing the situation and potential to have a major impact during the 2015 season—I believe we are beginning to establish a theme here.
Minnesota’s first-round rookie has looked more like a developmental third-round selection through four preseason games, but there is little doubt that Waynes has the tools to become an above-average player at his position.
With 4.3-second speed, substantial length and a high football IQ, Waynes shouldn't require as long to develop as his play at Michigan State or during the preseason suggests he might.
Cornerbacks literally come in all shapes and sizes while also featuring a wide range of athletic strengths and weaknesses. However, every elite cover man shares one critically important quality that can make or break a cornerback's career: confidence.
Richard Sherman is the face of the confident defensive back franchise, but every elite man-to-man coverage specialist throughout history has been a borderline narcissist. A successful cornerback still fails at his job 50 percent of the time, which makes confidence and mental toughness more of a prerequisite than a perk.
Simply put, Waynes needs a confidence-booster.
The Titans depth chart features a talented and diverse collection of wide receivers, including Kendall Wright and second-round pick Dorial Green-Beckham. Shutting down top receivers is a notable accomplishment, regardless of whether it's the preseason or Super Bowl—and Waynes desperately needs to leave Tennessee with something to build on or he risks entering the regular season in doubt of whether he can perform at the professional level.
Titans X-Factor: QB Marcus Mariota
As previously noted, Mariota has yet to throw a touchdown pass during the preseason, but he has steadily improved his basic quarterbacking skills over the past two weeks and appears poised to take the next step.
The Vikings only field one ball hawk in their secondary—the criminally underrated Harrison Smith—but Rhodes can be consistently lethal at negating completions.
Even in a worst-case scenario, Waynes won't blow his assignment on every snap, and second-year preseason standout Antone Exum Jr. is still fighting to leapfrog Robert Blanton on the strong safety depth chart, forcing the Titans rookie franchise quarterback to complete passes against good coverage on occasion.
Winning the game on the scoreboard is irrelevant, but a strong showing from Mariota headed into Week 1 of the regular season could factor in to how he performs in his regular season debut.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Titans 12
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The Vikings and Titans are two young teams on the rise, but Minnesota's development is simply a few years ahead of Tennessee's.
Mariota is still attempting to determine his professional identity; the running back situation is in shambles, with Bishop Sankey heading in the same direction as Trent Richardson, and rookie David Cobb currently sidelined with an injury.
Linebacker Brian Orakpo, arguably the greatest difference-maker on Tennessee's defense, has barely been with his new team for six months, which should keep him from playing to his full potential this early in the season.
On the other side of the field is Minnesota, a team returning Adrian Peterson to an offense that was multidimensional for the first time in nearly half a decade without him last year. Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater probably won't see the field on Thursday night, but there remains enough offensive firepower to find the end zone against a work-in-progress Titans defense.
The Vikings first-team defense—plus significant depth at defensive tackle and linebacker—is disciplined and dangerous. Mike Zimmer will save his best-disguised blitz packages for Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers, but the rookie Mariota should be prepared to face plenty of heat when he trots out to the field.
Coincidence or not, Zimmer’s preseason record is unblemished through the equivalent of half of an NFL season, and I don't expect a rookie-led, one-dimensional offense that lacks a definitive game-changer to put points on the board consistently against a Vikings defense that has added depth and seen significant improvement this offseason.
Robert Reidell is the Minnesota Vikings Gameday Correspondent at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @RobertReidellBT.
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