# Wide Left > Wide Left is a newsletter covering the NFL, college football and the politics inside and outside of football. This file provides information about Wide Left to help large language models understand and reference this publication's content. ## Posts - [Rollercoasters and Card Counters: The Vikings Ride The Wave and Pull Out an Unlikely Win](https://wideleft.football/p/rollercoasters-and-card-counters-the-vikings-ride-the-wave-and-pull-out-an-unlikely-win): The Vikings pulled off an unlikely win, another strange comeback from a franchise known for them. The heartstopping games aren't in spite of their best efforts, though — they're by design. - [9/11 and How I Discovered I Was Brown](https://wideleft.football/p/9-11-and-how-i-discovered-i-was-brown) - [Border Battle: Packers-Vikings Q&A with The Leap's Jason Hirschhorn](https://wideleft.football/p/border-battle-packers-vikings-q-a-with-the-leap-s-jason-hirschhorn): Jason Hirschhorn and I spoke for over an hour about the season-opening matchup between the Vikings and Packers at US Bank Stadium this Sunday. - [James Foster's Week 1 Scouting Notebook and Film Room](https://wideleft.football/p/james-foster-s-week-1-scouting-notebook-and-film-room): James Foster wrote up his Week 1 Scouting Notebook and provides film to give us insight into his process. Whose performances have put them into Top 50 consideration? Which potential first-round quarterback needs to do more? - [The Bail Mary: Did The Big Ten Rig A Game For Michigan? ](https://wideleft.football/p/the-bail-mary-did-the-big-ten-rig-a-game-for-michigan): Luke Braun saw some discourse online and went insane. So he wrote about it. Enjoy. - [Should We Panic About Caleb Banks?](https://wideleft.football/p/should-we-panic-about-caleb-banks): Luke Braun breaks down Caleb Banks' preseason to see if the emerging concern about Caleb Banks, the Vikings' first-round pick, has any merit to it. - [Tiering the Vikings' 53-Man Roster](https://wideleft.football/p/tiering-the-vikings-53-man-roster): The Vikings have released their 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season, barring some tweaks to finalize the roster before Week 1. With that release in mind, Matt Fries has tiered and ranked the players on the roster. - [How is Jake Golday Adapting to the Vikings?](https://wideleft.football/p/how-is-jake-golday-adapting-to-the-vikings): The most impactful rookie of the Vikings draft class might not be the first-round pick or any of the third-round picks, but a backup linebacker in the second round forcing himself onto the field. Matt Fries breaks down his film. - [Why Care About Ty Simpson's Depth of Target?](https://wideleft.football/p/why-care-about-ty-simpson-s-depth-of-target): A week ago, I pointed out that Ty Simpson's good preseason passer rating came with a caveat. Rams fans didn't like that. Did I have solid ground to stand on? - [Is Myles Price For Real?](https://wideleft.football/p/is-myles-price-for-real): Luke Braun breaks down one of the preseason's breakout stars for the Minnesota Vikings, wide receiver Myles Price. Is his breakout real? - [Vikings Preseason Week 2 vs. the Ravens: Takeaways](https://wideleft.football/p/vikings-preseason-week-2-vs-the-ravens-takeaways): The Vikings had another exhibition showing this week, letting us learn about the exciting talent they have waiting in the wings. And also the quarterbacks. - [10 Breakout Players to Watch For in the 2026 NFL Season](https://wideleft.football/p/10-breakout-players-to-watch-for-in-the-2026-nfl-season): Alex Katson has an issue with most "breakout players" lists. So, he made his own. - [Football and the Illusion of Immortality](https://wideleft.football/p/football-and-the-illusion-of-immortality): In Megan Armstrong's debut for Wide Left, she focuses on what our love of football means for our own understanding of mortality. - [Breaking Down the Preseason: Murray, McCarthy and What We Can Learn](https://wideleft.football/p/breaking-down-the-preseason-murray-mccarthy-and-what-we-can-learn): Matt Fries breaks down how J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray performed in the preseason and why just a few plays demonstrated that Murray has earned the trust of the Vikings offensive staff - [Vikings Preseason Week 1 vs. the Giants: Takeaways](https://wideleft.football/p/vikings-preseason-week-1-vs-the-giants-takeaways): We watched a preseason game, where the Minnesota Vikings played the New York Giants. Is there anything to take away from it? Sure, why not! - [Jordan Addison and the Art of Projecting Contracts](https://wideleft.football/p/jordan-addison-and-the-art-of-projecting-contracts): Jordan Addison is the next major Vikings contract in the pipeline. Matt Fries looks at the contract landscape to project what Addison could command — either by the Vikings or someone else — and what it will look like. - [Kyler Murray is a Litmus Test for Vikings' Future](https://wideleft.football/p/kyler-murray-is-a-litmus-test-for-vikings-future): The Minnesota Vikings have named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season. What better way to mark this occasion than a 10,000-word breakdown? Matt Fries delivers. - [Vikings QB Battle: Luke Braun Goes Insane and Breaks Down Training Camp Clips](https://wideleft.football/p/vikings-qb-battle-luke-braun-goes-insane-and-breaks-down-training-camp-clips): We made Luke Braun break down quarterbacl clips from training camp and it broke him down instead. See the results! - [Jamal Adams: A Blitz Boy For A Blitzing DC](https://wideleft.football/p/jamal-adams-a-blitz-boy-for-a-blitzing-dc): Luke Braun breaks down the fit between Jamal Adams and the Minnesota Vikings defense, steered by Brian Flores. Is Adams' blitzing reputation well-earned? And is it actually a good fit for Flores? - [Matt Fries' pre-August 53-Man Roster Projection](https://wideleft.football/p/matt-fries-pre-august-53-man-roster-projection): Matt Fries put together a 53-man roster projection ahead of August, built off of observations and scouting ahead of training camp.