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Vikings thrive on offense: Kene Nwangwu and Trishton Jackson stand out vs. Browns
By Tyler Forness,
1 day ago
After getting head coach Kevin O'Connell his first win in the preseason last week, the Minnesota Vikings now have a winning streak. They went into Cleveland and beat the Browns by a score of 27-12.
The game was impressive for the Vikings, especially on offense. Nick Mullens stepped up and didn't miss a beat. He threw a nice pass to Jalen Nailor on a fade-stop and then found Trishton Jackson on the same route for a touchdown.
There were multiple storylines coming out of the game on offense, including some impressive performances.
Trishton Jackson could be WR3
The WR3 competition feels relatively set with Jalen Nailor. He's been excellent throughout training camp and was explosive during his limited snaps in the preseason. Even though he's been great, don't count out Jackson.
Jackson ended up having a 100-yard performance on four receptions against the Las Vegas Raiders and continued that against the Browns on Saturday. He caught a beautiful stop route from Nick Mullens and thrived against all kinds of coverage.
Jackson hasn't been able to stay on the roster over the last few years but this feels like his chance to make it and stay. There is a lot of nuance in his game in terms of route running and getting open and those will play during the regular season.
Wes Phillips calling plays
One of the interesting elements you get to see during the preseason is assistant coaches getting a chance to do more for development purposes. Some coaches let their assistants be the head coach but Kevin O'Connell is doing something a little different.
O'Connell had offensive coordinator Wes Phillips call all the plays during Saturday's contest. It's a nice piece of development for multiple reasons. O'Connell can get Phillips some experience calling plays while also seeing his process in doing so. They can have good conversations about that and learn from each other.
Kene Nwangwu steps up
Throughout the first three years, running back Kene Nwangwu hasn't looked like a running back. His vision in the run game and hands in the receiving game have both been subpar. This year, he seems to have figured that out.
Nwangwu has thrived during the preseason. Against the Raiders, Nwangwu thrived. He did blow one pass-blocking rep but fixed it quickly and also ran 48 yards for a touchdown. Nwangwu followed it up by running for 45 yards on seven carries on Saturday afternoon. Could this be the year he puts it all together?
Jaren Hall rebounds well
The Vikings quarterback situation felt pretty set after the Raiders game. Hall struggled mightily in his first action. He was missing throws, rushing his mechanics and throwing a very inaccurate football. It appeared that he hadn't played a single down in the NFL. Hall did rebound by leading the team into field goal range for the game-winner.
Hall seemed to have learned from the first preseason game and came out swinging. He was much more composed and confident in his play on Saturday, including one of the best passes you will see this season from a Vikings quarterback. He hit wide receiver Jeshaun Jones on a deep crossing route for a 71-yard touchdown and Hall hit him in stride while on the move. A truly impressive throw.
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