Neal: Some answers to Vikings roster questions are clear as preseason ends

If there was even an infinitesimal slice of doubt that Max Brosmer belongs on the Vikings’ 53-man roster to start the regular season, he obliterated it on Friday in a 23-13 loss to the Titans in Nashville.

Brosmer threw a dart into a tight window in the third quarter to Bryson Nesbit, who turned and fled into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown. It was the Vikings’ first touchdown of the preseason since the fourth quarter of the first preseason game against Houston — also a Brosmer touchdown pass.

In the third quarter, on fourth and 4 from the Titans’ 43, Brosmer faced a zero blitz but lofted a perfect strike to Dontae Fleming at the 5. Fleming lost control of the ball while trying to stick the landing, so it was incomplete. Still, an impressive toss by Brosmer.

Brosmer got a long run of play in the third after Brett Rypien was hit while throwing a wobbly pass that was intercepted. He was evaluated for a concussion but returned during the fourth quarter, when he overthrew a receiver with a ball that was nearly picked off.

But the numbers don’t lie. Brosmer was 15 of 23 for 161 yards on Friday. He was 35 of 58 for 364 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the preseason. He goes through progressions quickly and gets the ball out of his hand.

“The mental makeup and the wiring of him is exceptional,” Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said while joining the KFAN broadcast during the third quarter.

Here are three observations after Friday’s game.

There is an S and a K in Ski-U-Mah as well as Skol, by the way.

Sam Howell looked promising in the first preseason game against Houston and dreadful in the second against New England. He didn’t play on Friday after getting his reps in a scrimmage earlier in the week.

He has not looked sharp in previous practices, and it was telling that coach Kevin O’Connell, following the Texans game, said they needed to see Howell in game action rather than practices.

If the Vikings want an experienced backup, they could look to the Browns and the 37 quarterbacks they have in camp. Kenny Pickett could be expendable on a team that is starting Joe Flacco and has rookies Dillion Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the pipeline.

This gets tricky if the Vikings need to carry two quarterbacks to fortify another position. And there’s the challenge of a new quarterback learning O’Connell’s system. But Howell hasn’t earned his spot, while Brosmer has.

Chandler is in his fourth camp with the Vikings and has not developed the way they hoped. He was healthy and not in uniform on Friday. Was it because they have decided to keep him? Scott, who was on the practice squad last season, deserves to be on the roster.

Scott rushed for 96 yards on 22 carries in preseason games and caught five passes for 61 yards. He has outperformed Chandler. Scott is a fine fit for a team expected to run the ball more in J.J. McCarthy’s first year as starting quarterback. And he can return kicks. He’s a keeper.

There have been rumblings about replacing Wright, who has been adequate in three seasons, with undrafted free agent Oscar Chapman. The numbers in preseason: Wright, six punts for a 47.3 average. Chapman, three punts for a 52.3 average. Wright averaged 40 yards on two punts on Friday.

Chapman, who has made this a neck-and-neck race, has a strong leg. His holding for kicker Will Reichard had been fine until Friday, when he didn’t handle one snap cleanly.

Wright isn’t bad. He’s a reliable holder. But the Vikings apparently are looking for more. As part of the International Player Pathway Program, Chapman, an Australian, wouldn’t count against the 16-man roster limit for the practice squad. He can fine-tune his game and be an option if the Vikings run out of patience with Wright.