Takeaways from Minnesota Vikings' preseason win over Raiders

Game 1 of the preseason is officially in the books for the Minnesota Vikings.

Depending on your expectations coming into Saturday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, you may be fretting, realizing you may have to be patient this season, or all-in on this team’s potential.

Overall, it certainly wasn’t pretty at times, but there were also good moments.

Let’s take a look at some key takeaways from the Vikings’ 24-23 preseason-opening win over the Raiders.

QBs show flashes of potential

Sam Darnold is expected to start Week 1 of the regular season for the Vikings and Saturday’s game showed why.

Darnold played just one drive but looked in control, made good throws and mostly sound decisions, and also displayed some of the athleticism that helped make him a third overall draft pick.

It also showed some solid upside for what the offense could look like with him running the show, even though it was a very small sample.

J.J. McCarthy, meanwhile, showed that immense potential but also had some moments that should make it clear why Darnold is atop the depth chart right now.

McCarthy showed off his athleticism on a couple runs, flashed the arm talent on a deep touchdown to Trishton Jackson (and nice touch on one to Trent Sherfield Sr.), and was mostly solid in keeping his eyes downfield and going through progressions.

The rookie also tossed a bad interception, misjudged some throws and made some, well, rookie mistakes.

That’s all part of the learning process and is fine with Darnold ready in front of him. It also doesn’t mean McCarthy won’t be ready to go and/or the better option for Minnesota in a month or two. For now, it’s just about continued development, but McCarthy made a solid first impression.

Bubble guys make some plays

Just to get it out of the way: Yes, there were mistakes and bad plays at times on Saturday. Overall, though, there were a lot of good plays, especially among guys battling for increased roles and a roster spot.

Trishton Jackson and Sherfield each hauled in touchdowns, Kene Nwangwu — mostly a specialist over his first few seasons — got some carries and looked solid, defensive linemen Bo Richter and seventh-round pick Levi Drake Rodriguez got sacks, and corners Bobby McCain and Dwight McGlothern had some nice moments. Dallas Turner also had a couple pressures and a sack.

Not all of those guys are necessarily fighting for a spot on the roster but certainly are fighting for playing time and had a good start to the preseason. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if they can carry it forward into next week’s game.

Wright outkicks Vernon in punting battle

One of the clear roster battles for the Vikings is at punter, where the incumbent, Ryan Wright, is being challenged by Seth Vernon.

Wright seems to have had the better camp thus far, although special teams coordinator Matt Daniels noted this week that he needs to give Vernon more opportunities as a holder. Still, Saturday’s game seemed to confirm Wright as the frontrunner.

Wright’s first punt traveled 57 yards and his second went 61, flipping the field position from Minnesota's 30 to the Raiders' 22.

Vernon, on the other hand, was in an ideal position to boot one deep on his first chance but kicked a 35-yarder. He was much better on his second opportunity, kicking a 55-yarder when the Vikings were backed up inside their own 20.

He'll need to avoid any more like his first punt and consistently perform like he did later in the game to win the job from Wright.

Room for improvement

The first half alone definitely showed some areas that could use improvement, which is to be expected in the preseason.

There were some defensive struggles, particularly against the pass, which isn't ideal with most starters playing. The offense also struggled to find much rhythm, although Darnold only played one drive and Justin Jefferson didn't play at all. Again, just one preseason game but areas to watch, especially considering pass defense has been an issue for the Vikings in the past and figures to be a weakness again in 2024.

The defensive line also didn't get a lot of push and also had some lapses against the run with backups in. The pass-rush from that group has also been lacking in past years so the

Jaren Hall, a fifth-round pick last year, didn't have a great showing on Saturday as he seemingly fights for the third-string job. He led four late drives, resulting in 35 total yards and four punts. However, he got one more shot with under two minutes to play and led a nine-play, 39-yard drive that set up Will Reichard's game-winning field goal. Maybe he can build off that going forward.

Honoring Khyree Jackson

Finally, the game was another glimpse into how the the Vikings plan to honor rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson, who tragically died in a crash last month .

The team has already discussed some of their plans but got to put a few into action on a game-day Saturday.

Helmet decals and lapel pins were visible at the game, and a moment of silence was also held at U.S. Bank Stadium before kickoff, with members of Jackson's family serving as honorary captains.

Fellow rookie Dallas Turner, who played with Jackson at Alabama for two seasons in college, also wore a special shirt in honor of his fallen teammate.

Expect to see more tributes and ways to honor Jackson throughout the season.

The Vikings are back in action next Saturday afternoon at the Cleveland Browns. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:25 p.m.