EAGAN, Minn. — It’s time for the final dress rehearsal. The Vikings will host the Seahawks on Friday, and the starters for both sides are expected to play into the third quarter in the most important preseason game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. (CT) at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota has split its first two preseason contests. Seattle lost to Indianapolis and the Los Angeles Chargers in its first two preseason games. Here’s a look at 10 numbers of note heading into Friday’s matchup: 403 — Vikings running backs lead players at their position in yards from scrimmage in the preseason with 403. Rookie Roc Thomas leads the Vikings with 168 yards from scrimmage, while fellow rookie Mike Boone has 135. 6 — Minnesota racked up half a dozen sacks Saturday against Jacksonville. Ifeadi Odenigbo had a pair of sacks while Danielle Hunter, Eric Wilson and Anthony Harris each had one. Stephen Weatherly and Ben Gedeon split a sack. 7 — Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson has hit all seven of his kicks in the preseason. He has made all five extra points and a pair of field goals, including a 57-yard attempt. 17 — Only 17 players on the Vikings current roster were on the team when Minnesota and Seattle met in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs in January of 2016. 65 — Russell Wilson has been Seattle’s starter for the past six seasons, and has a record of 65-30-1. He has completed 17 of 26 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown in two preseason contests. 2 — Minnesota and Seattle have each won two division titles over the past four seasons. The Vikings won the NFC North in 2015 and 2017, while the Seahawks won the NFC West in 2014 and 2016. 1 — Vikings safety Harrison Smith had an interception in the second preseason game. The All-Pro led the Vikings, and tied his career high, with five interceptions in 2017. 3 — This is the third straight year for the Vikings and Seahawks to meet in the preseason. Minnesota traveled to Seattle in 2016 and 2017, and the teams split those games. 0 — The Vikings offense was 0-for-12 on third down against the Jaguars on Saturday. Minnesota faced third-and-8 or longer on eight of those plays. 107 — The teams will meet Friday in the preseason, then meet again 107 days later as the Vikings travel to Seattle for a Week 14 matchup on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Dalvin Cook planning to play for Vikings vs. Seahawks... Reacting to a string of glowing reports out of training camp, Vikings fans and inquiring fantasy football minds want to know when tailback Dalvin Cook will make his 2018 preseason debut. We have an answer. Cook is planning to play Friday night versus the Seahawks, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported, via a source informed of the situation. This will mark Cook's first game since early October. The No. 41 overall pick in the 2017 draft was an instant NFL success last September, averaging an astonishing 123 yards from scrimmage in his first three games before an ACL injury prematurely ended his rookie season. "I'm a thousand-percent confident in what I got going," Cook assured NFL Network's Stacey Dales earlier this month. "I put enough work and enough time into my craft over the time that I was out, so I'm a thousand-percent confident and I'm ready to play." Cook is expected to open the season as the Vikings' starting running back, with veteran Latavius Murray and the impressive undrafted rookie tandem of Mike Boone and Roc Thomas vying for complementary roles. As long as Cook avoids a setback, Minnesota's backfield will be a team strength again in 2018. (NFL.com)
And we finally get a chance to see Dalvin Cook to see how he looks,hope he plays a half at least a quarter
And the 84 million dollar man Kirk Cousins better look real sharp tonight...still wish they would have kept Teddy Bridgewater
Again there not looking to smooth Kirk Cousins isn't looking good, he doesn't move to good in the pocket holds on to the ball takes silly azz sacks
The number 28 should be retired AP was a beast,for years he was the Vikings it just don't look right on Iloka the number 28
The Vikings used late-game dramatics, including a touchdown and two-point conversion with under a minute to play, to log a 21-20 win over Seattle in Week 3 of the preseason at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday night. Here are five observations from the game... 1. Cook returns, Murray shines The U.S. Bank Stadium crowd was spurred on by the debut of Dalvin Cook. The first-team offense was spurred on by the contributions of Latavius Murray. Both were positive developments for the Vikings. Cook saw action on three snaps while Murray was on the field for the entire first half. Murray’s best moments came on the first team’s only touchdown drive, when he touched the ball eight times and gained 42 yards, including a 24-yard reception and a one-yard touchdown plunge. With the return of Cook, Murray’s production in the first three preseason games, CJ Ham helping on offense and special teams and the battle for the RB3 spot between Mike Boone and Roc Thomas, the Vikings have talent and depth at the running back position. 2. First-team offense moves the ball but only produces six points A glance at the scoreboard wouldn’t indicate it, but the first-team offense moved the ball well against Seattle’s defense. Quarterback Kirk Cousins led drives of 49, 95 and 64 yards, yielding one touchdown and providing more building blocks for the group as it inches closer to the regular season. Cousins finished with 182 passing yards on 17 of 28 passing. He wasn’t sacked, was able to connect for explosive gains and helped the offense convert in key areas (more on that below). Stefon Diggs, who caught a beautiful back-shoulder offering from Cousins, and Adam Thielen each had four receptions; Diggs finished with 51 yards and Thielen with 26. 3. Offense improves in key areas It was tough sledding for the Vikings offense last week against a good Jacksonville Jaguars defense. Perhaps no metric better illustrated that than the zero for 12 mark the team had on 3rd downs. Whatever corrections the offensive coaching staff had for the offense this past week obviously worked. Cousins and Co. were seven of 10 on 3rd downs in the first half, and they were also one for one in the red zone and committed just one penalty for five yards. It was a much cleaner showing for the offense in what will likely be the starters final in-game tune up before they open the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers on September 9. 4. Carlson misses two field goals in first half Earlier this week, the Vikings decided to go with rookie Daniel Carlson at kicker over veteran Kai Forbath. On Friday night, Carlson missed two field goals in the first half (both from 42 yards). Carlson calmed down in the second half, converting a point after touchdown attempt and drilling a touchback on a kickoff, plus head coach Mike Zimmer downplayed any long-term concern about his young kicker. But you can be sure Zimmer will find ways to put Carlson in pressure situations during practice and perhaps even during the preseason finale next Thursday in Nashville to help get him back on track. 5. Beebe, Harris, Sloter and Wieneke ignite 4th quarter comeback The Vikings entered the 4th quarter trailing 13-6. That’s when a quartet of Vikings made a series of plays to lead the team to 15 points in the final 9:13 to edge Seattle by a point. It began when newly-signed safety George Iloka batted an Alex McGough pass up in the air and fellow safety Anthony Harris corralled it for an interception. That turnover led to a Kyle Sloter-to-Jake Wieneke touchdown moments later; Carlson’s PAT knotted the game at 13. Seattle answered with a touchdown of its own to reclaim the lead, but then receiver Chad Beebe returned a punt 34 yards to midfield, setting up Sloter and Co. with good field position and 2:25 on the clock. Sloter completed five passes on the ensuing drive, with three of them going to Beebe for a total of 50 yards. The final completion was a 25-yard dart, on the run, to Beebe, who was flashing across the middle of the field as Sloter evaded a pass rush on 4th and 15. After Beebe made the sliding grab for the touchdown, Zimmer elected to go for two in order to win the game and avoid overtime. Sloter found Wieneke on an out-breaking route and the Maple, Grove, Minn. native was able to secure the pass and wrestle his way into the end zone for the two-point conversion to give his team a 21-20 lead that would go on to serve as the winning margin. (Vikings.com)
