The Vikings are readying to return to the practice field this afternoon as they continue preparations for their third preseason game, a Sunday nighter in San Francisco. This morning, following the team's walk-through, receiver Greg Jennings, head coach Leslie Frazier and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer spoke with reporters. Here's your quick midday update.
Clean-up needed
By now, it's been well documented that the Vikings' first-unit offense was erratic at best during the first half of last week's preseason loss in Buffalo. Sure, the Vikings had the convenient fallback excuse of not having studied the Bills' defense leading up to the game, leaving them flummoxed when new Buffalo defensive coordinator Mike Pettine unloaded a full array of pressure and looks. But still, in film review, the sloppy execution by the Vikings was inescapable.
"It jumped out at us as we watched the film," receiver Greg Jennings said. "Just being fundamentally sound. They definitely played faster than us. They got to the point of attack quicker than we did -- I mean as a whole. Individually, there were definitely things I feel like that I could have done better as far as precession in my route running, different things to help the quarterback. But as a unit, we just got outplayed."
Jennings made sure to scan the bench after the first unit offense produced only three points in five drives and reminded himself of another missing component: an MVP by the name of Adrian Peterson.
"I was coming to the sideline saying, 'Oh my gosh, what are we doing?' Like we were struggling," Jennings said. "And then I saw this guy on the sideline that had this [number] 28 jersey on and he wasn't dressed. And I'm like 'Oh yeah, I forgot. We don't have a big part of our offense out here who draws a lot of attention.'"
Peterson's presence, even if it's just for a series or two Sunday in San Francisco, should provide a boost. Jennings, meanwhile, looks forward to playing into the third quarter, still needing to get into a rhythm after tallying just one 5-yard catch through the first two preseason games.
"I need the work because I haven't been here," he said. "This is a new system, a new quarterback, a new team chemistry. So I need the work. I've got to feel comfortable in the offense in a game setting. In practice, it's cool. I've got it. Everything is kind of habitual now. But in the game, things kind of change up."
