The Minnesota Vikings get another preseason test Saturday when they host the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium, and this one comes with a little more edge than your typical August tune-up.
Minnesota opened exhibition play with a 13-10 win over the New York Giants, while Baltimore rolled past the Eagles 24-7. Add in a pair of joint practices earlier in the week, and there should be enough bite on the field to keep things interesting.
For fans trying to catch the game, the matchup is set for Saturday afternoon, and the source notes that Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley and safety Joshua Metallus will appear on the simulcast during the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
One of the names worth tracking closely is rookie cornerback Charles "Chuck" Demmings. He’s already made an impression in camp thanks to his personality and his work on the field, including a practice rep where he defended Justin Jefferson. That early buzz carried into his preseason debut against the Giants, where he played 31 defensive snaps, the most of any Vikings cornerback and second on the defense only to rookie safety Jacob Thomas, who logged 38.
The box score didn’t give Demmings much to work with. He was targeted once, gave up an 11-yard catch and finished with one solo tackle. Still, the larger takeaway is that the Vikings kept him on the field a lot, and that kind of workload usually says plenty about how the staff views him.
Saturday could bring more chances his way. Baltimore ran 76 offensive plays against Philadelphia, with 37 of them leading to pass attempts.
The Ravens completed 30 passes, good for 81.8%, for 298 yards, one touchdown and one interception. If that kind of volume shows up again, Demmings should have plenty of opportunities to break up a throw or even snag one himself.
If he keeps stacking those reps, he could be in line for a bigger role in the Vikings’ 2026 secondary. For now, he’s one of the clearest players to watch when Minnesota and Baltimore kick things off Saturday.
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J.J. McCarthy Has Plenty Riding On Vikings Preseason Game
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J.J. McCarthy sits near the center of it all, because his performance has to take a step forward if he wants to firm up the QB2 conversation. Jacob Thomas also bears watching after an impressive Week 1 showing, and Caleb Banks remains an intriguing project after a rough preseason debut while he continues working back from injury. For a team still shaping its depth chart, this is the kind of game where a few snaps can carry a lot of weight. [Read more 🡒]