Minnesota Vikings studs and duds in win vs. Raiders highlighted by superstar rookie QB J.J. McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings got the first win of head coach Kevin O'Connell's career in the preseason over the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 24-23. The Vikings took a long way to get there. They got down 20-7 before rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw two touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead. […]
The Minnesota Vikings got the first win of head coach Kevin O'Connell's career in the preseason over the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 24-23.
The Vikings took a long way to get there. They got down 20-7 before rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw two touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead. Late in the fourth, they needed a field goal to secure the win and rookie kicker Will Reichard got the job done with a game-winning 37-yard field goal.
Who were the biggest standouts on Saturday afternoon? Let's break down the studs and duds for the Vikings.
Stud: WR Jalen Nailor
Nailor was one of the better receivers during training camp for the Vikings. He thrived in every situation imaginable. The big question was whether or not that would translate to gameday. Well, he answered that quickly.
Nailor was excellent and arguably the best player on the field Saturday afternoon. He caught passes of 24, 20 and 19 yards to lead the Vikings in receiving. If he can stay healthy, the Vikings have their WR3 locked up.
Dud: WR Thayer Thomas
If you want to make the backend of the roster, special teams is an absolute must. You need to have that element to your game to be a depth player at most positions, especially at wide receiver.
Despite receiving praise from Kevin O'Connell multiple times over the offseason, Thomas hasn't stood out much during training camp and the preseason game had a major lowlight. On a punt coverage rep, Thomas was pulverized all the way across the field and the return went right into the voided gap and Tre Tucker took it for 23 yards. Not great from the second-year player.
Stud: QB J.J. McCarthy
It wasn't smooth sailing for the Vikings' rookie quarterback during the game on Saturday. He threw his first interception on his first NFL drive while trying to create outside of structure. After that, McCarthy started to get comfortable and we saw points fly onto the board.
First, McCarthy made Justin Jefferson's prediction come true with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson. He followed that up on the next drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield on a corner route reminiscent of K.J. Osborn's game-winning touchdown against the Detroit Lions in 2022.
Seeing McCarthy come back and thrive after some adversity is awesome to see.
Dud: QB Jaren Hall
Last season, I was very bullish on Hall being a day-three guy who could develop into a starter. Due to injuries, he started two games in his rookie season but they didn't go as planned. He got knocked out of his first start against the Atlanta Falcons with a concussion on the second series and was pulled from his New Year's Eve start after halftime because he struggled.
With an opportunity to play extended minutes, Hall did not inspire confidence one bit. He was erratic with his passes and seemed to be pressing. That's not a great sign for earning a roster spot with Nick Mullens standing on the roster.
Stud: DT Levi Drake Rodriguez
Rodriguez is becoming a fan favorite. Labeled Prospect X by Kalyn Kahler (then of) The Athletic, Rodriguez had quite the story going into the NFL Draft process. The Vikings fell in love with him and selected him with the 232nd overall pick in April's NFL Draft.
Rodriguez has a real chance to crack the defensive line rotation this year and made a statement in his first game action. His motor earned him a pass breakup along with a sack. He was flying all over the place and making plays early and often. If he keeps that up, watch him make an impact in the regular season.
Stud: EDGE Bo Richter
This was a surprise, but Richter thrived early on for the Vikings when he got his first snaps. In his first snap, Richter got around the right tackle and sacked quarterback Anthony Brown Sr.
That wasn't all for Richter. He got pressure consistently and was wreaking havoc in the backfield. He paired the sack with two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit. Pretty good debut for the edge from Air Force.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has articulate comments on his first NFL game
J.J. McCarthy spoke like a veteran quarterback during his first postgame comments to the media
