What we learned from the Vikings’ 24-23 preseason win over the Raiders

The Vikings’ 10-game preseason losing streak is over.

They won an exhibition game for the first time since 2019, beating the Raiders 24-23 on a 37-yard field goal by rookie Will Reichard as time ran out. Kevin O’Connell, winless in six preseason games as Vikings coach before Saturday, joked this week about how he would like to win one; he successfully challenged an incomplete pass call and used all three of his timeouts in the fourth quarter to get the ball back for Jaren Hall, who directed the drive for Reichard’s winning score.

“I told the team last night, I thought Will would kick the game-winner, and he did,” O’Connell said. “It’s important to me to win at home, whether or not they count in the long run, because we want to build a team that can win games at home.”

Here’s a look at some of the things we learned from the Vikings’ preseason opener.

The Vikings have been consistent about their plan at quarterback; Sam Darnold is in line to be the starter at the beginning of the regular season. Darnold started Saturday and went 4-for-8 for 59 yards, fitting an impressive throw over leaping linebacker Robert Spillane to hit Jalen Nailor for 27 yards on a dig route. Darnold’s fourth-down throw to Nailor was broken up in the end zone on the Vikings’ opening drive, but he looked solid on the team’s first possession before leaving the game.

None of that, however, is likely to curtail Vikings fans’ excitement about McCarthy, who went 11-of-18 for 188 yards and threw two deep touchdown passes that will live on as preseason highlight fodder for days. He placed a 45-yard scoring pass right in Trishton Jackson’s arms, and hit an open Trent Sherfield Sr. for a 33-yard score after the Raiders busted their coverage on a play fake.

He scrambled for a first down on a third-and-5 in the second quarter, hit Jackson for 24 yards while getting hit by Amari Burney, and stepped up in the pocket before throwing an 18-yard strike to Jalen Nailor for his first completion. McCarthy also hit Nick Muse for a first down on a third-and-9, against a similar coverage to the one that ended McCarthy’s first drive after Spillane bowled over Kene Nwangwu and flushed the quarterback to his right, where he threw late for Jackson and Jack Jones undercut the throw.

“It was corners over, so he knew it was man-to-man,” O’Connell said. “It was a pretty violent hit, right at his feet; we call that a NFL pocket. I felt like maybe he could have put his foot in the ground and delivered that ball to Trishton a little faster. He chose to then move to his right, and the ball got undercut a little late there. He knew right away, and was ready to go back out there.”

Turner, the Vikings’ second first-round pick in April, got the start at edge rusher with Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel out because of injuries, and he needed little time to flash one of his best attributes as a pass rusher. He pressured Aidan O’Connell’s blind side on a third down, and forced a Raiders field goal three plays later when he dipped his shoulder to get around former first-round pick Kolton Miller on a speed rush. Rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez also had a sack and a pass deflection. “I just felt some of those young guys [being] active,” Kevin O’Connell said.

Through his first three NFL seasons, Nwangwu has spent most of his time as a kick returner. He was overwhelmed by Spillane on McCarthy’s interception, but on the Vikings’ next drive, he delivered a reminder of why he could become a weapon on offense. Given a big hole on the right side, Nwangwu broke away for a 48-yard score in the second quarter to cut the Raiders’ lead to 10-7.

The play elevated the Vikings’ rushing average to 6.7 yards per carry Saturday. Earlier, they opened space for Ty Chandler in the middle of the field before the running back bounced to the right for a 16-yard gain. The Vikings have struggled to run the ball in the red zone under O’Connell; Chandler’s 1-yard run from the Las Vegas 3 provided a reminder on the opening drive.

After trading for Dallas’ Nahshon Wright on Friday, the Vikings have added four of them cornerbacks since the start of training camp. They are reportedly set to visit with former Pro Bowl player Stephon Gilmore on Sunday; their first preseason game provided further evidence why they haven’t stopped looking for help.

Jay Ward, who’s played both safety and corner in his career, has been lining up at corner due to a spate of injuries in training camp. He lined up in press man coverage against Tre Tucker, who used his deep speed to beat Ward for 44 yards on a third-down shot from Gardner Minshew.

“He’s still a guy that can play two or three spots,” O’Connell said of Ward. “Bobby McCain flashed for me a little bit tonight as well. But we’re going to be constantly trying to figure out if there’s a player out there. I’ve had a ton of respect for Stephon Gilmore’s career, playing against him. So if that ends up being a possibility, I know [General Manager] Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] and his staff will get us going in the right direction.”