MINNEAPOLIS \u2014 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\u2019t mean it wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
The throw wasn\u2019t perfect, but it did not need to be. Why? Jordan Addison was the receiver diving and securing the catch.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to trust that timing in real time, being able to trust the protection \u2014 it was a huge growing rep,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/p>\n
That was coach Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s hope for Saturday. Winning 20-10 builds confidence, and there were many notable performances we\u2019ll soon get to, but the most important takeaway was always going to center on McCarthy.<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
Narrator: He could.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connell sounded not content but satisfied. There were no pre-snap penalties, and McCarthy was making checks at the line of scrimmage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a level of composure and poise to how he ran the show that was exactly what I was looking for,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cNow, we go back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
A checkpoint. That\u2019s all O\u2019Connell 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\u2019s kept his mind in that space for months, so Friday night, even he was surprised by the emotion.<\/p>\n
He was hit by it again during Saturday\u2019s national anthem.<\/p>\n
\u201cHad a little tear drop, not going to lie,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cThis game is the best game in the world. To be out there with this kind of group, and this coaching staff, was absolutely terrific.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The 4-for-7, 30-yard final stat line sums up the overall performance: some good, some that could be better.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s been facing with Brian Flores\u2019 squad in training camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t really feel like he put the ball at harm\u2019s risk very much in that sequence of plays,\u201d O\u2019Connell said.<\/p>\n
And that, really, seems like O\u2019Connell\u2019s benchmark. Knowing the defense\u2019s potential and believing in an improved special teams unit, what can this talented Vikings roster accomplish if McCarthy refrains from the disastrous negatives? It\u2019s a good question. It might be the question. After Saturday, we\u2019re that much closer to the answer.<\/p>\n
\nTaking it himself!@jjmccarthy09<\/a><\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcfa: @FOX9<\/a> | @NFLNetwork<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jK0mudQsSA<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
RisersZavier Scott<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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\u2019t blow anyone away: He finished with 40 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. It was the trust O\u2019Connell and the Vikings\u2019 offensive staff had, returning to him on five straight snaps, that says everything.<\/p>\n
Sam Howell<\/p>\n
Last week, an AFC evaluator said of Howell: \u201cHe\u2019s more of a gamer.\u201d 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\u2019s heart out. He wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Max Brosmer<\/p>\n
Antennas rise when O\u2019Connell speaks glowingly about a player, especially a quarterback. He praised Brosmer this summer. Brosmer\u2019s smarts, specifically. The Vikings targeted the Minnesota Golden Gophers player as an undrafted signing. O\u2019Connell had watched Brosmer locally a couple of years ago on the pro day, and the continuity between the Gophers\u2019 offense and the Vikings\u2019 made it a fit. Brosmer hasn\u2019t been perfect in camp. But he has held his own alongside McCarthy, Howell and Brett Rypien. Saturday wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Will Reichard<\/p>\n
Minnesota drafted Reichard with the idea he\u2019d be the team\u2019s long-term kicker. The evaluation seemed precise with the way he started his rookie season. He didn\u2019t 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\u2019t 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
FallersReceiver depth<\/p>\n
Entering Saturday\u2019s game, this was a concern. It\u2019s not that the Vikings are afraid superstar receiver Justin Jefferson won\u2019t be ready for Week 1. To the contrary. Minnesota\u2019s staff also expected Jordan Addison\u2019s three-game suspension<\/a>, so that news didn\u2019t change things. It\u2019s mostly that the options behind Jefferson, Addison and Jalen Nailor are mostly unproven. The one experienced candidate was Rondale Moore<\/a>, who brutally injured his left leg on a punt return during Saturday\u2019s 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\u2019s staff have knowing that the player will be trotting out in prime time under the lights in Chicago?<\/p>\n
Mekhi Blackmon<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t about Blackmon\u2019s play Saturday. He led the Vikings\u2019 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\u2019t 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\u2019d take a drastic change (from health or performance) to alter that standing.<\/p>\n
The edge rushers behind Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter<\/p>\n
When you have Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, edge rusher isn\u2019t 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
(Photo: Jeffrey Becker \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n