This weekend, the Vikings will be traveling by sea to Copenhagen to face off against the Towers. These two have a lot of history, traveling back and forth to play each other as a final preseason test in previous years. The last time these two teams went up against each other in a game where the final score mattered, was during the NEFL cup during the 2018 season. The game ended with a Vikings loss, but this time the Vikings are ready as they come and looking for their first win of the 2025 season.
What to watch
Against Stockholm, the Vikings defense showed tons of improvement. Going into halftime the score was 7-7, and it wasn’t until late in the third quarter that the Mean Machines seemed to be able to pull away. The final score of 27-7 does not really feel like it paints a picture of how well this defense played. One thing to consider is how the Vikings offense began to struggle to move the ball and were forced off the field more quickly from midway through the third quarter. Generally, 3-and-outs means a defense gets less rest and is considered no bueno. Addiotionally, it allows the opposing offense more opportunities to score. How good can this defense look against what is statistically (so far at least) the worst offense in the league?
The Vikings offense on the other hand looked balanced and was able to chain together multiple first downs that resulted in long drives early in the game but was eventually stuck in catch-up mode and was not up to the task against the Mean Machines. But, the Vikings have come back from slow starts before, and having played one game will mean the Vikings O have had a chance to shake out some jitters and eliminate mistakes. Will we see missed assignments, drops and turnovers in Copenhagen? Or will we be seeing a Vikings offense running circles around the Towers?
Players to watch
For the people that watched the live stream against the Mean Machines, you might have heard some discussions regarding one particular player’s age. That particular player is ageless wonder Vegard Tysse. Back for his 16th season donning the #7 jersey, one commentator guessed that Tysse was 23 years old. In other words, Tysse was either 7 years old when he first started playing for the Vikings senior elite team, or we have a ageless wonder on our hands. In Stockholm Tysse served up some hard runs, gaining extra yards through contact early, earning 4.6 yards per carry. Going into this weekend’s game, the Vikings offense will need to play better, and a key could be a solid running back running it back like he really is 23.
Youngster Max Kåss Dove made his first ever appearance for the Vikings senior elite team. Checking in to the game late, #9 made two tackles for loss, showing great recognition and ability to close out in space to make the tackle. It was a small sample size, but Dove has a chance to make an impact this weekend.
As always, playmaker Will Sewell will be a man to watch out for if you are a Towers player. #1 again made plays, recovering a fumble, returning kicks, rushing the ball, and absolutely blew a player up as a lead blocker, eliciting a loud “OOOOOOHHHH” from the crowd in Stockholm. Sewell has been taking reps on both offense and defense, as well as on special teams, since Stockholm, so don’t be surprised to see him making plays against the Towers.