Vikings Preseason Game 4: Hot/Not and Stray Observations

If you sat down to watch the Vikings' 4th preseason game, congratulations, you really love NFL football! The 4th preseason game is often overlooked due to the start of the college football season and the fact that few if any starters typically play to avoid injuries. Thus, the viewing public is mainly subjected to watching players on the bubble fight for one last chance to make the regular season roster, even though they likely will see little to not actual playing time once the season starts outside of special  teams. This game film will be extremely important to the coaching staff as they cut down the roster from 75 players to the final 53 man roster, and here is likely a few takeaways they will find after pouring through the tape:

Hot: Desmond Bishop, LB
A former starting middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers during their Super Bowl run in 2010, Bishop later blew out his hamstring which led to his release from the team and him signing a one-year minimum veteran deal with the Vikings. While most fans hoped he would come in and be a starter, Bishop struggled to stay healthy during training camp and the first preseason games, which led to head coach Leslie Fraizer calling him out through the media and letting him know his roster spot wasn't safe. Bishop answered the call very well in week 3 of the preseason, and this week it was more of the same as he played fast and physical against the Titans starter, recording two tackles for loss. This is the Bishop the Vikings hope they had signed this offseason, and it looks like Bishop may be playing his way into locking up a starting spot on this roster.

Not: AJ Jefferson, CB
The Vikings' fourth cornerback on the depth chart (meaning he will see time in dime packages most likely) did not alleviate concerns about the Vikings depth at cornerback, as he was constantly targeted and picked on by the Titans' cornerbacks and receivers, including on their third-string offense. The Titans had a long drive down the field when passing Jefferson's way three different times, including one pass for a touchdown, which does not bode well for what starting offenses could look to do against AJ. While in all likelihood Jefferson's roster spot looks to be safe, it would not be at all surprising if general manager Rick Speilman decides to sift through the cuts made by other teams in the upcoming days to pick up a corner who might have a shot at replacing Jefferson.

Hot: Marcus Sherels, CB
While the Viking's fourth cornerback was targeted and picked on, their fifth corner from last year refused to be bullied and made big plays to help out this Vikings' team. Sherels decided to miss week three of the preseason to grieve with his family over the death of his father, a decision he made sure he talked to coach Fraizer about knowing that he is squarely on the roster bubble this year and needed to make a splash. After clearly being frustrated when the Titans' first two kickoffs left the endzone, leaving Sherels no chance to show off his skills as a returner, the former undrafted player from the University of Minnesota took the next kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown. After his first big splash play of the day, Sherels took that momentum onto his play on the defensive side of the ball when he managed to pick off the Titans' third string quarterback Rusty Smith. Sherels huge play helped the Vikings win the game and should make sure he remains a part of the Vikings' roster.

Not: Jeff Locke, P
Rookie punter Jeff Locke continues to show a strong leg as his one kick of the night sailed a long way, going 46 yards, and had enough air under it to only allow about a two yard return. However, his chemistry as a holder with kicker Blair Walsh is still a work in progress, as a spotty hold by Locke cost the Vikings 3 points when Walsh hooked it to the left of the goalpost. One of my key stocks to watch this season, Locke and Walsh still look like they need to fine tune their rapport in order to make sure the Vikings don't leave points off the board this season.

Hot: Michael Mauti, LB
A 7th round pick in this year's NFL Draft, Mauti was a stand-out player at Penn State, but three ACL tears during his college career kept many teams from calling his name during draft time.The Vikings took a chance on him based on his potential and also his sterling intangibles (he wrote letters to all 32 NFL GM's before the draft explaining his love of football and desire to keep playing) and it looks like they may reap the rewards before long. Mauti has flashed excellent instincts and tackling ability during the preseason, and last night was no exception as he finished with four tackles, forced an incompletion in the red zone and issued a key block that helped Sherels run free on his return touchdown. Mauti has simply displayed a nose for the football and he almost certainly has played himself into a spot on the Vikings' roster this season.

Other Observations:

• Third-string quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson played most of the game and finished 19/26 for 187 yards with one touchdown and one (bad) interception. There is no reason for him not to remain on this squad, even though the idea has been floated out there that he could be cut and the team would keep wide receiver Joe Webb as an emergency quarterback.
• Rookie first round pick Xavier Rhodes is still learning what he can get away with at the NFL level, as he had a holding call against him that gave the Titans a first down.
• Undrafted rookie fullback Zach Line had some nice moments as a blocker, and it's very possible the team puts him on the 53 while starting fullback Jerome Felton is suspended.
• Backup safety Robert Blanton was around the football a lot and displayed good coverage skills in the end zone, which is very nice to see since the other backup safety, Mistral Raymond, is battling injuries
• Cornerback Bobby Felder, in competition with Sherels for a roster spot, had some nice plays today but got beat on a deep pass and later left the game with an injury. Advantage: Sherels