Several Vikings players have come up with a nickname for third-string quarterback Kyle Sloter, who has engineered two comeback victories in three games this preseason.

“We call him ‘The Closer,’ ” receiver Laquon Treadwell said. “He goes in and makes the most of his opportunities.”

Sloter, in his second season, doesn’t deny that one day he’d rather be known as “The Starter.” But for now he’s fine with his role backing up Kirk Cousins and Trevor Siemian.

Sloter’s preseason heroics began when he led the Vikings to 14 points in the final 6:01 of a 42-28 victory at Denver on Aug. 11. On Aug. 18, his second comeback fell just short when Sloter was sacked on fourth-and-4 at the Jacksonville 16 with 24 seconds left in a 14-10 loss.

Sloter wasn’t happy about not pulling that one out, but he bounced back last Friday against Seattle at U.S. Bank Stadium. On fourth-and-15, Sloter threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chad Beebe and then tossed a 2-point conversion pass to Jake Wieneke with 47 seconds left as the Vikings pulled out a 21-20 win.

“It felt good, definitely, that moment,” Sloter said. “It felt awesome, but there are definitely things that I can work on. I try to be perfect, although I know I never will be.”

Still, Sloter is having an impressive preseason. He has completed 30 of 41 passes (73.2 percent) for 236 yards with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 111.4.

Seimian has completed 20 of 35 passes (57.1 percent) for 214 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 82.3. But Vikings Mike Zimmer said Sunday that Semian is unquestionably the backup quarterback.

“If that’s the way it is and that’s the way practice shows, that’s fine with me,” Sloter said.

This doesn’t mean that Sloter isn’t still competing for the No. 2 spot. He said he simply goes about it differently than he used to.

At Northern Colorado in 2016, Sloter battled Jacob Knipp for the starting job, and didn’t win it. But Knipp injured his shoulder in the second game, and Sloter was the starter the rest of the season.

“In my career, I’m going to compete with myself,” Sloter said. “In college, I got caught up watching my competition throw a good pass and thinking, ‘I’ve got to come back with a good pass.’ …. That’s not really playing football the right away. It’s about doing the right things in certain situations.”

Sloter did lots of right things against the Seahawks, completing 11 of 15 passes for 85 yards. On the winning drive, he completed 5 of 8 for 53 yards. He scrambled on a broken play, and found Beebe in the left side of the end zone while barely avoiding crossing the line of scrimmage.

“It’s really nice to see him come in and give us a spark and compete and run around and make plays and extend plays,” offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said. “I think that’s a big part of his game. He did a really nice job the other night.” Related Articles Vikings rookie Justin Jefferson still writing his story

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These preseason games have been the first time Sloter has taken the field for the Vikings. After playing for Denver as a rookie in the preseason last year, Sloter was waived. He was signed to Minnesota’s practice squad and was elevated to the 53-man roster in the second week, but never got into a game.

Sloter, who said the “mental side of the game has come a long way” over the past year, doesn’t have to worry about being waived this fall. He’s all but a lock to make the 53-man roster.

“Until I sign a long-term deal anywhere, I won’t feel secure,” said Sloter, who has a nonguaranteed three-year, $1.665 million contract paying him $555,000 in 2018. “I’m not going to get complacent.”

As for Thursday’s preseason finale at Tennessee, Sloter’s nickname might have to take the night off. Cousins isn’t expected to play, and there’s no guarantee Siemian will either, which could make Sloter the starter. And there’s a chance the fourth quarterback on the roster, Peter Pujals, could finish the game.