The Vikings emerged from the U.S. Bank Stadium tunnel on Saturday night with nearly all of their starters in baseball caps, set to watch the team's reserves play the San Francisco 49ers' backups in a half-empty stadium.
Nothing the Vikings' fans saw in a 17-7 loss to the 49ers on Saturday night, in their only home preseason game of 2022, might ultimately matter that much. Little about it could have felt terribly encouraging.
The Vikings gained just 53 yards in the second half and turned the ball over three times (two on Kellen Mond interceptions, one on a fumbled Ihmir Smith-Marsette punt return).