While it's preseason and the game plans are typically pretty vanilla, there's still plenty to take away from the Minnesota Vikings' preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, including Kevin O'Connell's first career preseason win as a head coach.
J.J. McCarthy garnered plenty of attention — and deservedly so — after going 11 of 17 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but he wasn't the only rookie to put on a show Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from Minnesota's 24-23 win over the Raiders:
Welcome to the NFL
J.J. McCarthy's Vikings debut started a bit slower than anticipated as he threw an ill-advised pass on his first possession that ended in an interception, but he was able to bounce back — albeit against backups — in the second half to help the Vikings rally from a 20-7 halftime deficit.
McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick out of Michigan, completed a 15-yard pass to Nick Muse on third down in his first possession of the second half to set up, perhaps, the biggest highlight of the game. The rookie quarterback dropped a perfect pass along the left side to Trishton Jackson for a 45-yard TD.
McCarthy followed that up with another touchdown on the next possession, this time a 33-yard touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield Sr. to help put the Vikings on top for the first time in the game. That would end McCarthy's day, finishing with a 116.8 quarterback rating, but he wasn't the only rookie to put on an impressive display in their preseason debuts.
Fellow first-round pick Dallas Turner recorded his first sack on the Raiders' first drive, forcing Las Vegas to settle for an early field goal.
The former Alabama edge rusher burst around veteran tackle Andrus Peat and took down quarterback Aidan O'Connell for a loss of 10 yards.
"Just really trying to stack up these days, trying to stack up games like that," said Turner. "Just progressively get better every single week."
Rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez — a defensive tackle selected in the seventh round — and undrafted rookie Bo Richter also had sacks, capping off a few solid debuts.
Struggles in the secondary
While veteran Harrison Smith never saw the field, there were still plenty of concerns with how Minnesota's secondary — primarily its cornerbacks — looked in the first half.
Las Vegas quarterbacks Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew carved up the Vikings' secondary for much of the first half en route to taking a 20-7 lead into halftime.
O'Connell started it out by completing a pair of third-down passes to Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers to help get the Raiders on the board in their first drive. Minshew took over on the second possession and marched Las Vegas down the field for the game's first touchdown — a 20-yard touchdown pass to DJ Turner.
Minshew then converted twice on third down, including a 44-yard completion on third-and-11, to lead the Raiders on another touchdown driver. Minshew and O'Connell combined to go 13 of 21 for 193 yards and one passing touchdown.
The Vikings have been trying to address the secondary over the past few weeks — signing Bobby McCain and Duke Shelley, while also trading for Nashon Wright — but it appears to still be a work in progress.
The team is reportedly meeting with veteran free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore Monday, which could also provide a boost to a group that looked overmatched on Saturday.
Ground game gets going
After finishing with the fourth worst running game in the league a season ago, the Vikings' rushing attack showed some flashes on Saturday, including a jolt from speedster Kene Nwangwu.
The fourth-year running back out of Iowa State bolted up the right side for a 48-yard touchdown to get the Vikings on the board in the second quarter.
Nwangwu is known more for being an elite kick returner, but the preseason presents an opportunity for him to get some reps at running back, especially if starter Aaron Jones remains on the sideline until the start of the regular season.
Nwangwu's 52 yards rushing helped the team eclipse 140 yards on the ground, a vast improvement from last year's average of 91.4 yards per game. The team also average 6.5 yards per carry, which is up from last year's average of 4.0 yards per run — tied for ninth worst in the NFL.
McCarthy also helped in the ground game, picking up 18 yards on two carries. He used his legs to extend a drive on third-and-5 late in the second quarter, however, the possession ended in a blocked field goal.
