Unlike last week’s game at San Francisco, where you had to look carefully at the right angle and squint just a bit to see anything positive, the second preseason game had all kinds of positive signs. Here’s Dan Wiederer at the Star Tribune:
For all those Vikings optimists out there, Friday might well have been the perfect night just 23 days before the start of the regular season.
All those empty seats inside Mall of America Field? Hey, at least the stadium was half-full, right?
And for those who did turn out for a hype-free preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, it’s fair to say most left with a feeling this team’s glass may be half-full, too.
The Vikings not only built a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter of what turned out to be a 36-14 victory, but they did so with style, so many young players flashing the signs of promise that the coaching staff has been advertising since training camp began.
Where do we even start? That is, before rookie linebacker Audie Cole became an instant hero with two interception return touchdowns in the final minutes.
Do we begin with receiver Jerome Simpson, who on the game’s fourth play beat rookie Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore on a short slant, then decided to show off his Olympic-style hurdling skills, leaping over safety Jairus Byrd on his way to a 33-yard pick-up?
Or do you start with Toby Gerhart’s continued power and the 30 yards he rushed for on six attempts?
Or is it easiest to circle back to the obvious command shown by second-year quarterback Christian Ponder, who orchestrated an impressive 80-yard touchdown drive to open the game, then tacked on a 50-yard march on the next possession to set up a Blair Walsh field goal?
