Vikings Report Card: Grades from their preseason game with the Giants

The Minnesota Vikings had a very messy preseason debut. The offense had its moments with various quarterbacks, they also had some mishaps. The defense looked the part start to finish, however, and it has us once again thinking Brian Flores may be the biggest x-factor for this team.

For the offense, Kyler Murray played the opening drive, and the Vikings' offense moved pretty well. They settled for a field goal, but they were able to run the ball, Murray was nimble in the backfield, and it was fun to see the offense work within a different tempo. All of that seemingly went out the window when J.J. McCarthy came into the game.

While the offense was hit or miss. The defense was the star of the game. You can read all of it in our recap, but this is where things settled for our grading by position within the report card.

No turnovers, only took one sack; this should be a higher grade, right? They lacked much explosiveness; they didn't make many splash plays, and it showed that Kyler Murray is still getting familiar with things. As for J.J. McCarthy, he looked like every throw took everything in him, and it resulted in bad timing with his receivers and a lack of being able to get the offense going.

Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones looked explosive at the start of the game. Mason especially looked to have an extra step in his ability to run between the tackles, and it has me personally excited to see this run game in 2026. Being able to pick up chunk yards on the ground is going to be pivotal for the Vikings this season.

There were some bad drops, routes were a bit sloppy at times, and no receiver or tight end could really find a groove. Ironically, it was Myles Price who produced the most in the receiving game, but next week they should hopefully be more in a groove with the quarterbacks to make a play or two.

This was a top-tier performance from the Vikings' offensive line. The starters looked great, the backups looked solid, and it should have fans thinking this offense could achieve something with this group if everyone stays healthy. They gave up one sack and helped the Vikings run for 111 yards on the ground, a perfect day.

The Vikings' defensive line got a facelift this offseason, so all eyes were going to be on the group. Brian Flores has talked about wanting to stop the run more, and in holding the Giants to just 70 yards, you have to imagine he is happy. This group also got pressure on their quarterbacks from the start, and it speaks to the potential they have tp get this type of result with players at every level of the depth chart.

The Linebackers did a good job of containing the run; they also created some pressure. The unit played extremely well with Jamal Adams leading the way until his unfortunate injury. It seems it could be serious, which will hurt this unit but create an opportunity for a younger player to step up.

They got to the quarterback; they forced turnovers. This was a unit that showed they are ready for anything after seeing how Brian Flores schemed with them. They will be the star of the Vikings defense once again in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings Report Card: Grades from their preseason game with the Giants