The Minnesota Vikings opened up U.S. Bank Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens for their only preseason contest at home. They lost the game 13-3 with a lot of interesting elements.

We didn’t see the majority of the starters on Saturday afternoon due to the nature of joint practices, but it allowed us to see more from the depth players, which is always a good thing when it comes to the evaluation process.

What stood out on Saturday afternoon? Let’s break it down.

J.J. McCarthy has a bizarre afternoon

There was some excitement for the beginning of the game with young quarterback J.J. McCarthy getting the start. The thinking was that McCarthy would play extensively, as development is still on the minds of the Vikings. Where things got weird is McCarthy played the first quarter.

Sure, you want to get Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer some snaps on the day, but they don’t have the first-round pick investment in them like McCarthy does. During the game, McCarthy threw the ball 10 times, completing five of them for 81 yards, including a 50-yard deep ball to Tai Felton.

Unfortunately, his day will be remembered for two things: being pressured and throwing rocket balls. His rocket balls to Felton in the back of the end zone and to Myles Price in the front on fourth down. The same issues continue to hinder him, and that’s a big problem, as it doesn’t feel like McCarthy is getting better.

Even so, why aren’t you giving him more reps? It’s not a great process to only give him a quarter when he needs to get as many snaps as possible.

If your name is Jacob, you’re playing well

Both safety Jacob Thomas and linebacker Jacob Roberts both had really solid games for the Vikings for the second consecutive week. Against the New York Giants, both players had an interception and looked like rising players coming out of the game.

Saturday brought more success for both players. Thomas got himself a pass batted down on a deep ball, and Roberts had a couple of really nice tackles in space. The big thing for both guys was showing consistency and doing it for a second consecutive game. Thomas has already worked with the first team, and it will be interesting to see if Roberts gets a chance to jump up.

Other tidbits

• Defensive tackle Caleb Banks played every snap in the first half and was effective throughout in multiple roles on the day.
• Wide receiver Jeshaun Jones had a fumble on the day. With the depth at wide receiver, it’s not great for earning him a roster spot.
• Quarterback Max Brosmer played the entire second half and did okay. He made some good throws, but airmailed a couple badly, and it cost them two series.
• The tight end battle didn’t see a lot of separation on the afternoon. That will likely go down to the wire.