The Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns had a long week of joint practices and then a tough game. No major injuries were reported from the game, but practice proved difficult in that regard. Despite everything, the Vikings were able to withstand the pressure and secure the win.
Each position group did their best to impress the coaching staff as roster decisions approached. We saw some players express concerns about the position groups while others made us believe in them again.
There is one major downside to this report card, however: other than Ed Ingram, none of the regulars played for the Vikings. This has become the norm throughout the NFL after joint practices, so don’t read too much into missing player mentions.
Now that we have gotten through this, let us do our best teaching work.
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Grade: B+
Without Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy, the group of Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall played as well as anyone could hope for. The third quarterback position will be interesting to watch as we approach roster cuts.
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Grade: B
Myles Gaskin and Kene Nwangwu showed promising performances, but Ty Chandler was unavailable and DeWayne McBride failed to impress anyone. Overall, it was a passable performance, carried by Kene Nwangwu, who once again demonstrated his explosiveness.
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Class: A
The wide receivers also put in a near-perfect performance on Saturday. After their strong debut against the Raiders, they perhaps put in an even better performance against the Browns and their talented secondary.
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Grade: D+
The first half was a disaster from start to finish, largely at the expense of Nick Mullens. The second half was a little better, but still, the second-team offensive line is a major problem for the Vikings in 2024.
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Grade: B+
Anytime you get in the backfield early and often, it’s a good day. They had three sacks, nine quarterback hits and five tackles for loss. A very good and efficient day for a key part of the Vikings defense.
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Grade: C-
Blake Cashman and the other starters did not play on Saturday, so the grade would have been lower anyway. However, they allowed many good plays and almost allowed three scoring drives before turnovers spoiled the Browns’ victory.
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Grade: A-
The Vikings’ secondary looked bleak last week, but they rebounded in a big way against the Browns. They allowed some big plays, but they showed they can give in and not crumble by not giving up and fighting for turnovers with three interceptions.
