Heading into week 5 of the season, the Oslo Vikings take on the defending Swedish champs at home. The Carlstad Crusaders are undefeated so far this season and are coming off a win against the defending Norwegian champions Eidsvoll 1814’s, while the Vikings made it onto the boat back from Copenhagen with a solid win in the bag. Will the Vikings be able to upset the Crusaders and hand them their first loss of the season?
What to look for
First off, let’s talk a little about the Copenhagen game. The Vikings rushed off the boat and had very little time both before and after the game. A slow start to the game saw the Vikings turn over the football on a muffed punt, but they were still able to walk into half with a lead. After the half, the Vikings exploded and really started to play well. An insane grab from #19 Niklas Fengler, strong runs from #1 Will Sewell, and a pick-6 by #9 Max Kåss Dove were just some of the highlights.
Going into this week’s game, the offense will need to perform like they did in Copenhagen against a stout Crusaders defense. The Crusaders have only allowed 13 points in regular season games and allowed 0 points against Eidsvoll. The Crusaders also give up very little yards per game, allowing only 256 yards total through two games.
Defensively, the Vikings will be going up against a Crusaders offense who has been leaning heavily on passing production to score. Passing the ball on right around 60% of all offensive plays and gaining most of their yards through the air with quarterback Slade Jarman slingin’ it around. Jarman was the 2024 passing yards leader and QB of the year, and in two games against the Vikings he put up 822 yards, 11 TDs, and a 74% completion rate. Safe to say the Vikings secondary will need to be at their best this weekend.
Players to watch
You probably saw this coming, but we still need to talk about Will Sewell. Sewell is now tied for first place on the scoring list and is number two on the rushing yards list. This guy is an absolute menace with the ball, possessing power to run though you (speaking from personal experience), speed to burn you down the sideline, and he is shifty, able to evade defenders left and right. On defense, Sewell is also the Vikings leading tackler. One thing is for sure, you will notice #1 out on the field one way or another.
I brought up Max Kåss Dove last week as well, and boy did he deliver. How about getting a pick-6 in your second ever game playing senior level football? I talked to Dove on the sideline after he came off the field and he said he was waiting for that exact play to happen. This kid came prepared, watched film, and capitalized on the opportunity he was given. Against an offense that loves passing, Dove will get more chances to make splash plays and give the Vikings a chance to win their first homegame of the season.
Lastly let’s talk about Niklas Fengler. Going back to his childhood roots and switching numbers to #19, like he wore in Germany, Fengler does not play like a junior but a grown ass man. One catch that got called back against the Towers saw Fengler fight through contact from the corner and snag a ball over his head. There was a (questionable) offensive pass interference call on the play, so the next time Fengler got the chance he let the corner run into him and just caught the ball behind his back. The catch was good enough to be a Sportscenter highlight and going up against the Crusaders, Fengler might just pull some new tricks from his hat.
The Vikings are finally able to welcome fans back to Frogner Stadium for the first time in 2025. Even the one preseason game the Vikings have played was an away game. At long last home fans are able to enjoy a day at Frogner, hopefully with a Vikings win. This Sunday is a double header with the u17’s taking on the Trolls in a Battle of Oslo that features two undefeated teams. Then the Vikings seniors are facing off against the Carlstad Crusaders. Come out to Frogner for a day of football and fun!