The Minnesota Vikings kicked off the preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon. The Vikings received the ball to start the game and both teams initially lined up on the wrong yard line.
The game will have the first team play a decent amount of snaps for both teams meaning there will be some interesting takeaways, including the Vikings rookie sensation J.J. McCarthy getting his first snaps.
Follow along throughout the first half as we break down the biggest takeaways and observations.
Sam Darnold shines early
The first drive of the game went to the Vikings and Darnold got to work early. He developed a rapport with Jalen Nailor early and often, connecting on a dig route of a dagger concept for 26 yards and a corner route for 19 yards.
The Vikings couldn't quite get into the end zone, failing to convert a fourth down inside the 10-yard line. That ended up being his only drive.
Dallas Turner gets his first sack
It didn't take Turner long to make an impact on defense. When the Raiders got in the red zone, quarterback Aidan O'Connell was looking for someone to throw the ball to on third down. He was going through his progressions and Turner used a ghost move to get around the edge on Andrus Peat for the sack. It forced a field goal by Daniel Carlson.
Turner looks every bit the part for the Vikings defense and it's no easy feat to get around Peat who is a stalwart veteran.
J.J. McCarthy throws an interception on his first drive, bounces back
The Vikings didn't waste time getting McCarthy into the game. His first three plays were handoffs before he fired in a dig route to Nailor for a sizable gain. A few plays later, McCarthy tried to creat outside of structure and did a good job of finding an open receiver but he threw the ball behind Trishton Jackson and it resulted in an interception .
He bounced back quickly on the next drive connecting with Jackson on a 24-yard crossing route.
Kene Nwangwu sprints for a touchdown
Nwangwu's biggest issue in getting into the game has been his vision. As a running back in wide zone concepts, he couldn't see the field well at all. With how head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense has evolved over the last few years, gap concepts have become more prevalent.
That helps Nwangwu and it manifested itself on Saturday afternoon. On the Raiders 48-yard line, they ran an off tackle play to Walter Rouse's side on the right and they opened a gaping hole which Nwangwu took easily. The safety took an awful angle, allowing Nwangwu to sprint easily for a touchdown.
Vikings secondary struggles
It doesn't matter if it was the first team or second team, the secondary struggled throughout the first half. There were communication issues and the Raiders receivers were able to get separation.
The touchdown from Gardner Minshew to D.J. Turner was the biggest example of slow communication. It's relatively okay to see these issues during a preseason game, but 180 passing yards is a brutal number for a single half in the preseason.
Related: Answering burning Minnesota Vikings questions: From Sam Darnold to T.J. Hockenson and Christian Darrisaw
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