Nordo's Numbers: Preseason Week 2 vs. New England

The Minnesota Vikings played the New England Patriots in their second preseason game. Excitement was high for the first preseason game because fans anticipated second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s return from his meniscus tear.

However, this week’s mood was more subdued. After joint practices with the New England Patriots, Kevin O’Connell announced that McCarthy would not play in the second preseason game. Almost all projected starters also sat out. Despite this, the Patriots gave all their starters some playing time after a few rough days of joint practices.

These sorts of games might not be the most entertaining for fans, because they don’t get to see the players who likely get most of the reps on Sunday. However, they are crucial for the coaching staff to evaluate the roster and depth chart before the season begins.

Here are 5 key numbers from Minnesota’s second preseason game against the Patriots.

0.0

The afternoon didn’t get off to a good start for projected backup quarterback Sam Howell.

He finished with a passer rating of 0.0 after his three drives. Howell went 1 for 5 for 13 yards and a comical interception when he spun out of pressure, only to end up in the face of an oncoming edge rusher. Instead of tucking the ball, he floated it off his back foot to a double-covered Lucky Jackson.

Howell’s performance likely won’t cost him his second-string quarterback spot, but it might raise some questions about him. Howell highlighted some of the issues he displayed during his time with the Washington Commanders, including poor decision-making that exacerbated already challenging situations.

While most people think that the Vikings will have one of Howell or Brett Rypen as the primary backup to McCarthy, there is a chance they will bring in someone from the outside. During O’Connell’s first season in charge, the Vikings ended up trading for Nick Mullens after Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond didn’t play well enough in the preseason.

2

Lucky Jackson also didn’t help his case in this preseason game after recording 2 drops.

Jordan Addison will miss the first three games with his "wet reckless" suspension, leaving WR3 wide open. Before this game, it appeared that Lucky Jackson would have the inside track on this role. However, the coaches must consider an open competition or bringing someone in from the outside, given his issues with drops.

Conversely, rookie Tai Felton made two impressive grabs in the first half, one where he demonstrated great spatial awareness by knowing his position in relation to the sideline to catch a tipped pass in bounds. He also made an impressive sliding 20-yard grab during the two-minute drill.

Before this game, Lucky Jackson was likely the WR3 to start the season. However, it now looks questionable due to his inability to hold onto passes.

4

The Vikings offense was so tough to watch that head coach Kevin O’Connell dropped a four-letter word that is not allowed by the FCC.

While the actual play in the preseason isn’t necessarily entertaining, the Vikings media network has taken a step to spice things up by bringing in a special guest to join them from the sidelines to discuss the game and the upcoming season.

Last week's interview with Justin Jefferson went off without a hitch. With just how often KOC appears in front of the media, you would expect something similar from him. Despite this, O’Connell seemed to lose all the benefits of his year of media training with a Tai Felton presnap penalty that turned first-and-10 into first-and-15.

It's safe to say that after this, the Vikings may not have head coach O’Connell mic’d up from the sideline next season.

3

Vikings punter Oscar Chapman has three successful holds on Will Reichard's field goal attempts. Minnesota’s kicker hit 54-, 47-, and 27-yard field goals with the Aussie punter holding for him. The Vikings appear to have a punting battle on their hands after incumbent Ryan Wright struggled near the end of last season and throughout training camp.

Chapman has the leg to be an NFL punter. Still, the bigger question would have been surrounding his ability to hold for the kicker and if he could fit into the special teams operations. It looks like the punter from Auburn has fit in seamlessly into the role of holder.

While Chapman’s Auburn Tigers and Reichard’s Alabama Crimson Tide are rivals, it doesn’t look like their college affiliation has affected their setup on the field goal unit.

57.0

Max Brosmer finished the game with a 57.0 passer rating. Brosmer went 15/27 for 156 yards and an interception against the Patriots.

After an incredible first preseason game, everyone was excited to see what former Minnesota Gophers quarterback Brosmer would play in his second week of action. The Vikings obliged their fans by giving the rookie the entire second half to showcase his talent.

While he did flash in certain moments, like a 28-yard shot to Tim Jones and a game-extending 25-yard pass on fourth and 17 to Jeshaun Jones, he still left a lot to be desired, especially when faced with pressure. After an 81-yard return by Myles Price that set the offense up nicely at the New England seven-yard line, Brosmer and Co. were still unable to punch the ball in, ending another drive unceremoniously with a field goal.

Brosmer likely will get most of the snaps in Friday's preseason game against the Tennessee Titans as he looks to make a case for a 53-man roster spot.