MINNEAPOLIS — This is what the Minnesota Vikings do. Right here. It was the first drive in the first quarter of a preseason game, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t time for a play-action pass. Here was second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Faking the handoff. Planting his feet. Firing an out route, angled toward the left sideline.

The throw wasn’t perfect, but it did not need to be. Why? Jordan Addison was the receiver diving and securing the catch.

If you’re looking for the sequence best representing what this will look like when the real games start, here you go. The offense will contain more running and a more diverse screen game, but creating explosive plays off of play action will still sit at the core.

“Being able to trust that timing in real time, being able to trust the protection — it was a huge growing rep,” McCarthy said.

That was coach Kevin O’Connell’s hope for Saturday. Winning 20-10 builds confidence, and there were many notable performances we’ll soon get to, but the most important takeaway was always going to center on McCarthy.

Could he communicate the plays effectively to the huddle? Could he holler out the correct cadences? Could he walk up to the line and assess the defensive picture with time to spare on the play clock?

Narrator: He could.

O’Connell sounded not content but satisfied. There were no pre-snap penalties, and McCarthy was making checks at the line of scrimmage.

“There was a level of composure and poise to how he ran the show that was exactly what I was looking for,” O’Connell said. “Now, we go back to work.”

A checkpoint. That’s all O’Connell and McCarthy wanted this to be. McCarthy viewed it that way, but for a different hint of emotion. A year ago, on this same stage, he stepped wrongly and tore his meniscus. All of the hype that had built, all of the conversation centered on his potential ascent, vanished. The road back was tedious. It required a fixation on each day, as opposed to the bigger picture. He’s kept his mind in that space for months, so Friday night, even he was surprised by the emotion.

He was hit by it again during Saturday’s national anthem.

“Had a little tear drop, not going to lie,” McCarthy said. “This game is the best game in the world. To be out there with this kind of group, and this coaching staff, was absolutely terrific.”

McCarthy booted on one snap and found Addison near the sideline. He sailed a third-down pass over the middle intended for receiver Lucky Jackson. He scrambled and secured a fourth-down conversion. He escaped on another third down and nearly completed a throw-back attempt to running back Jordan Mason.

The 4-for-7, 30-yard final stat line sums up the overall performance: some good, some that could be better.

McCarthy mentioned accuracy as an area to improve. He also noted there was an adjustment period against a vanilla Houston Texans defense, compared with what he’s been facing with Brian Flores’ squad in training camp.

“Didn’t really feel like he put the ball at harm’s risk very much in that sequence of plays,” O’Connell said.

And that, really, seems like O’Connell’s benchmark. Knowing the defense’s potential and believing in an improved special teams unit, what can this talented Vikings roster accomplish if McCarthy refrains from the disastrous negatives? It’s a good question. It might be the question. After Saturday, we’re that much closer to the answer.

RisersZavier Scott

The buzz began early in training camp. The Vikings were having a hard time hiding the fact they saw something in Scott, a 26-year-old who went undrafted in 2023. You could see why Saturday. Scott became the featured player of the team’s third drive. He hammered his way into holes. He caught a screen and knifed his way up the field for an 11-yard gain. He showed some intriguing vision. The final numbers won’t blow anyone away: He finished with 40 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. It was the trust O’Connell and the Vikings’ offensive staff had, returning to him on five straight snaps, that says everything.

Sam Howell

Last week, an AFC evaluator said of Howell: “He’s more of a gamer.” Howell had struggled early in training camp, albeit often against a first-team Flores defense that uses random training camp afternoons as opportunities to rip the offense’s heart out. He wasn’t throwing in rhythm. There was more pre-snap congestion than the coaches would have liked. Howell did fumble a snap Saturday. Had he not recovered it, he might have lost the opportunity to display an impressive array of throws. His receivers helped him, specifically Jackson on one over-the-top catch in the intermediate area, but he was an efficient 11-of-13 for 105 yards.

Max Brosmer

Antennas rise when O’Connell speaks glowingly about a player, especially a quarterback. He praised Brosmer this summer. Brosmer’s smarts, specifically. The Vikings targeted the Minnesota Golden Gophers player as an undrafted signing. O’Connell had watched Brosmer locally a couple of years ago on the pro day, and the continuity between the Gophers’ offense and the Vikings’ made it a fit. Brosmer hasn’t been perfect in camp. But he has held his own alongside McCarthy, Howell and Brett Rypien. Saturday wasn’t flawless, either. Brosmer was antsy at the beginning of his snaps as the fourth quarterback, and his offense lost a fumbled snap late. He progressed nicely on a third-down conversion and again in the red zone. His final line? Three-of-six passing for 26 yards and a touchdown.

Will Reichard

Minnesota drafted Reichard with the idea he’d be the team’s long-term kicker. The evaluation seemed precise with the way he started his rookie season. He didn’t miss any of his first 14 attempts. A quad injury slowed his roll in Week 8, forcing him to miss about a month. Even when he came back in Week 14, he couldn’t find his early form. He made 11 of 15 tries, including in the wild-card round against the Los Angeles Rams, and the uneven end created some angst ahead of camp. Reichard didn’t help his cause with a handful of misses in the first couple of weeks. However, he drilled six field goals Monday night. Saturday was a continuation of the arrow pointed up.

FallersReceiver depth

Entering Saturday’s game, this was a concern. It’s not that the Vikings are afraid superstar receiver Justin Jefferson won’t be ready for Week 1. To the contrary. Minnesota’s staff also expected Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension, so that news didn’t change things. It’s mostly that the options behind Jefferson, Addison and Jalen Nailor are mostly unproven. The one experienced candidate was Rondale Moore, who brutally injured his left leg on a punt return during Saturday’s second quarter. Tim Jones, a fourth-year pro, was flagged twice on special teams. Rookie Tai Felton could play a role as a gunner, and Jackson snatched a couple of notable passes. Undrafted rookie Silas Bolden is easily the most dynamic returner on the roster, but how much faith will Minnesota’s staff have knowing that the player will be trotting out in prime time under the lights in Chicago?

Mekhi Blackmon

This isn’t about Blackmon’s play Saturday. He led the Vikings’ defense with a combined five tackles. This is more about his current role. Blackmon, a third-round pick in 2023, who tore his ACL last year, took a lot of snaps Saturday with the second team. No. 1 cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. didn’t play as part of a grouping of veteran starters who sat. Cornerbacks Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah were the featured corners, and it feels like it’d take a drastic change (from health or performance) to alter that standing.

The edge rushers behind Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter

When you have Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, edge rusher isn’t a position that causes worry. Backups, though, are always worth eyeing. And with the way Murphy and Richter sprang off the line of scrimmage Saturday afternoon, there isn’t much of a question remaining. Murphy was credited with 1 1/2 sacks, and Richter had the other 1/2. Murphy also tallied four quarterback pressures. Neither of the two is massive in stature, but they possess a twitch and explosiveness that keeps them interesting.

(Photo: Jeffrey Becker / Imagn Images)