The Minnesota Vikings won their first preseason game, but the real story is in the film. Tyler Forness broke down every snap for The Real Forno Show, revealing a clean Kyler Murray operation, an alarming backup quarterback crisis, a breakout from Myles Price, and a linebacker group that might be the best unit on the roster. Vikings preseason film breakdown, McCarthy struggles, Myles Price, Bangally Kamara, Caleb Banks, Brian Flores defense — there’s a lot to unpack, and not all of it is pretty. If
you think preseason doesn’t matter, the backup quarterback tape will change your mind.
Tyler Forness opened the show with measured optimism about the first-team offense under Kyler Murray. “Kyler Murray operating under center looked good. He looked comfortable, and that was the number one thing I was looking for,” Forness said. He noted that six of Murray’s nine snaps under center looked natural and clean — a critical data point for a quarterback transitioning to a new system. However, the backup quarterback situation drew scathing criticism. “I thought they were atrocious. I thought they were both terrible,” Forness said of J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz. “If you go by the performances on Saturday, J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz are unplayable in a regular season game. It’s at a point where it’s borderline catastrophic.” On McCarthy’s mechanics, Forness was blunt: “They’re never consistent. He’s either way too wide, way too narrow, or just right. It’s like the porridge in the three bears story.” Dave Stefano offered a slight correction — “rarely in sync” — but the concern was unanimous. Forness even admitted he misses Nick Mullens, saying the Vikings may need to find a backup quarterback from “the scrap heap.”
Key Points from the Episode:
- Kyler Murray’s comfort under center — Clean operation, good quarterback-center exchange, felt natural on six of nine snaps. “I feel a lot more comfortable with him under center now than I would have if you had asked me a week ago.”
- J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz “unplayable” — Both slow to the line, mechanically inconsistent, and unable to reliably operate the offense. “You cannot trust either of these guys to operate the offense.”
- Myles Price earning a roster role — The converted return man bailed out Wentz on multiple plays. “Price has taken every advantage afforded to him and really shown that he deserves to play wide receiver in the NFL.”
- Demond Claiborne flashed but needs more — Showed real burst and a vicious blitz pickup, but dropped four passes in practice and got the ball at the goal line, which Forness called “objectively stupid” for a 5’9″, 188-pound back.
- Caleb Tiernan’s struggles are structural — The rookie tackle’s 6’8″ frame with short arms and limited bend is a potentially unfixable problem. “This is limitations because of the way he’s built, and you can’t fix that.”
- Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange show promise — Banks will get stood up due to his size but showed encouraging penetration. Orange exceeded expectations.
- Linebacker group might be the best on the roster — Blake Cashman is “one of the best blitzers in the NFL,” Ivan Pace Jr. looks “improved” after a rough offseason narrative, and Bangally Kamara was “all over the field.” Forness admitted: “I gotta eat a little crow here. He looks improved” regarding Pace.
- Edge rusher depth is a major concern — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins can’t be trusted as edge three. “Edge three is in dire straits.”
- Jacob Thomas and Charles Demmings bolstering the secondary — Thomas had an easy interception and is a “real possibility” for a roster spot. “Charles Demmings has locked down a spot on this roster.”
- Dallas Turner sack prediction — Both hosts predict double-digit sacks. “If he stays healthy, I’d smash the over” on nine-plus sacks.
- Harrison Smith likely done — Forness doesn’t expect a return and would prefer the cap allocation go elsewhere.
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The film doesn’t lie, and Tyler Forness watches every frame so you don’t have to. From the encouraging signs with Kyler Murray to the alarming backup quarterback crisis, this episode of The Real Forno Show delivers the kind of unfiltered, tape-based analysis that Vikings fans need before the regular season kicks off. Whether you’re optimistic about the first-team offense or terrified by what’s behind Murray, this is the conversation that connects the dots. The Real Forno Show is a Minnesota Vikings podcast from Vikings 1st & SKOL and the Bleav Network — tune in, subscribe, and find out what the film really says about your team.
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Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL, with Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, the @RealFornoShow found at the @BleavNetwork.
What do you think?
What’s your biggest concern after the first preseason game — the backup quarterback situation or the edge rusher depth?
