Denver's dealing with its own attrition up front — both projected starting centers have missed camp time and Michael Deiter landed on injured reserve, which matters when backup arms are absorbing hits behind a shuffled line. Minnesota's thin in spots too: three defensive backs and a defensive tackle reverted to injured reserve in the last week, and receiver Jeshaun Jones just started a 3-game suspension. None of it screams appointment viewing, and the market reflects that — Denver's a deserving favorite, but not a runaway one.
What actually plays out Friday is a game between QB2s and QB3s fighting for roster spots, with both franchises' real plans staying mostly on the sideline. That's preseason finale football — sloppy, low-stakes, occasionally revealing about who deserves a job when cuts come Sunday.
Minnesota closed last season on a stretch that saw them beat the Giants, Lions and Packers, salvaging a 9-8 finish even after they'd already been eliminated from playoff contention. Denver's coming off a real conference title-game run, falling to New England after outlasting Buffalo in overtime the round before — a roster with an actual ceiling, even if almost none of the guys who got them there will play many snaps Friday.
Cutdown day lands Sunday for both clubs, so treat this closer to a live tryout tape than a game either front office cares about winning. How the center battle in Denver shakes out, or how the McCarthy-Wentz rep split goes in Minnesota, will end up mattering a lot more than the final score.