The Vikings have some excuses.
For one, Minnesota had most of its notable players not participating in its preseason opener. Many of those players were starters. Additionally, the Broncos utilized a lot of first-team players on Saturday.
Stipulate it however you want, but Denver thrashed Minnesota in multiple phases of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defense got beat up and down the field, while the offense struggled to get anything going.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the Vikings’ preseason opener: