The Vikings left New York with a 13-10 preseason win, but the box score only tells part of the story. For a few players, Saturday was the kind of night that can change the tone of the rest of camp. For others, it was a missed chance to grab some momentum while the roster battle is still wide open.
That’s the reality in August. Jobs are there to be won, practice-squad spots are up for grabs, and every snap can nudge a player up or down the depth chart. Minnesota’s first preseason game offered a clear look at which guys helped themselves - and which ones now have more work to do.
Dillon Bell falls into that second group. The undrafted free agent from Georgia, listed at six-foot-one and 209 pounds, looks like the kind of receiver an NFL team would want around.
But if he’s going to force his way into the 53-man conversation, he needs more than a quiet opener. Bell was targeted once against the Giants and didn’t come down with it.
He did flash a little as a runner, though, taking two carries for 27 yards, including a 17-yard gain. Still, the passing game is where he has to make his money, and the clock is already ticking on his chance to prove it.
On the defensive side, “Big Citrus” Domonique Orange also had a muted debut. The 6-foot-2, 322-pound lineman was supposed to be an eye-opener in the middle of Minnesota’s defense, the kind of body that can clog lanes and make life miserable for opposing run games.
Instead, he finished with just one tackle against New York. The stat line doesn’t tell the whole story for a defensive lineman, but Orange still looked like someone who needed a bigger impact in a game like this.
With a crowded young group fighting for snaps up front, he has to start separating himself.
Then there’s J.J. McCarthy, whose preseason opener did not help settle anything about the quarterback pecking order.
After losing the starting job to Kyler Murray, McCarthy seemed positioned as the backup for the 2026 NFL season. But Carson Wentz clearly had the better night.
McCarthy went 4-for-7 for 34 yards, added 1 rushing yard, and took one sack. Wentz finished 9-of-14 for 81 yards and threw a one-yard touchdown to Myles Price.
The contrast raises an obvious question: should Minnesota simply hand McCarthy the backup job, or should Wentz push this into a real competition? McCarthy looked uncomfortable, and the opener suggested he may benefit from more time to develop before taking on a bigger role.
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