4 Big Takeaways from the Vikings’ First Preseason Game
Almost a full year after tearing his meniscus, QB J.J. McCarthy stepped on a football field. It was an emotional moment for the 22-year-old signal-caller, and hopefully the last time he has to miss time. But it wasn’t all about the starting quarterback in the preseason debut.
The Vikings opened up the preseason with a 20-10 win against the Texans. The QBs were in the spotlight, but other players also shone.
Some players really stepped up against the Texans on Saturday, either solidifying their roster spot, depth chart status, or showing they can make the final 53. Others couldn’t make the most of this first opportunity and will have their work cut out for them, as the Vikings will have joint practices with the New England Patriots. Overall, a good preseason game as the Vikings beat the Texans 20-10.
Main Takeaways from Vikings’ Win over Texans
1. There will be a quarterback battle
Let’s start with this: all four QBs have struggled in training camp. Sam Howell, whom the team traded for during the Draft, struggled a lot against the defensive starters. This led Kevin O’Connell to give more opportunities to Brett Rypien, who was mostly the QB3.
With both Howell and Rypien struggling, some conversations about the backup QB position arose. Was O’Connell satisfied with the depth behind McCarthy? Would the team trade for a veteran QB, just like they did for Nick Mullens a few years ago?
At least for this week, Sam Howell silenced the critics. He was sharp against the Texans, going 11-13 for 105 yards and a QB sneak for a touchdown. The highlights include a great pass to Jalen Nailor to move the chains on 3rd&9 and a 94-yard drive that ended on his QB sneak for the TD.
He processed things quickly and showed his arm strength, with the ball exploding from his hands. It was against the backups in a preseason game, but Howell looked comfortable leading the offense.
The same can’t be said about Brett Rypien, though. The third QB to get a snap on Saturday, Rypien looked antsy in the pocket, completed just one pass, and was sacked twice. On the three drives with him under-center, the Vikings had just 12 total yards and only one first down. Max Brosmer, who finished the game, looked much better.
The undrafted rookie out of Minnesota went 5-8 for 47 yards and a TD. He also looked uncomfortable at the beginning, but was able to settle down after the first few snaps. Brosmer threw three very good passes in the game.
The first was to Dontae Fleming, who couldn’t complete the catch. On the very next play, a 4th&goal from the 3, Brosmer stood in the pocket, went through his reads, and found Myles Price in the back of the endzone. The third was the last play of the game, a deep pass to Dontae Fleming.
If Howell can build off his performance on Saturday, he’ll solidify himself as the QB2. For the QB3 spot, however, things can get interesting. Rypien is more experienced and knows the playbook well, serving as the emergency QB last season. But O’Connell praised Brosmer multiple times already during training camp. If he’s not careful, Rypien could be the odd man out.
2. J.J. McCarthy will be fine
Let’s get the QB talk out of the way. He wasn’t as impressive as last year, but I think McCarthy had a good game against the Texans. I’m sure he’d like to have his throw to Lucky Jackson back, and his ball placement could be a little better (like on the first pass to Jordan Addison), but it was alright. What impressed me the most was everything that happened before the snaps.
He looked in control of the offense, getting out of the huddle quickly and making checks at the line of scrimmage.
He had a great pass to Jordan Addison for a chunk gain. With a defender in his face, McCarthy slid to the left a little and threw off his back foot to where only Addison could make a play. To me, his worst play wasn’t the overthrow to Jackson or the cross-body throw to Jordan Mason. It was the bootleg pass to C.J. Ham on 2nd & 1..
With a defender in his face right away, I don’t think he saw the defender closing in on Ham, who lost three yards on the play. Ideally, he’d throw it in the dirt near Ham to avoid an intentional ground penalty.
This was likely his only preseason game, and it may’ve been the last time McCarthy plays in August. Although it wasn’t perfect, his decisiveness, poise, and confidence were on display on Saturday. He’ll get better over time, as there are things that can only be learned the hard way. But everything about him leads to a bright future.
3. Zavier Scott balled out
I’m sorry, Zavier Scott, I was not familiar with your game. A 2023 UDFA with the Colts, Scott spent the 2024 season in the Vikings’ practice squad. Ty Chandler, who has been the RB3 since 2023, hasn’t shown much besides a game against the Bengals in 2023. He also didn’t impress as a kick returner in 2024. This has put not only Chandler’s RB3 job but his roster spot up for grabs.
And Scott wants it badly. He was one of the most impressive players in the preseason opener. He was patient waiting for blocks, showed great vision to find the gaps, burst, and strength to get yards after contact. He had 5.7 yards per carry and finished the game with 51 total yards.
More eyes will be on him for the next two weeks. If he can keep this pace, and Chandler has one more bad game, there’s a real chance that Zavier Scott makes the roster over Chandler.
4. The defensive line depth is ridiculous
Okay, this probably isn’t a surprise to anyone. But still, the defensive line depth may be one of the deepest in the league. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel are amazing. Dallas Turner will get opportunities to show why he was a first-round pick last year.
Brian Flores explicitly said he views them as three starters. And this is just the pass rushers. Harrison Phillips is a great run stopper, but he doesn’t have that juice against the pass. So the front office beefed up the trenches with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
But the Vikings also have great players for rotational roles. Jalen Redmond impressed a lot last year and got more snaps in the final weeks. Levi Drake Rodriguez had a year to get in “NFL shape” and is having an amazing training camp. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is a rookie with a lot of potential.
Taki Taimani, who started last season really well, could get cut just because the depth is crazy. Elijah Williams, who wasn’t even signed as an undrafted free agent, impressed as a tryout, made the 90-man roster, and had an impressive game against the Texans.
Behind Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Turner, the Vikings also have options. Gabriel Murphy was considered one of the steals of last year’s UDFAs, but missed most of training camp with injuries. He was arguably the best player in the preseason opener, finishing with 1.5 sacks and constantly in the backfield. He’s apparently a lot bigger as well, and looks safe as the primary backup.
Bo Richter was a stud on special teams last season and should remain one in 2025. He also showed improvement as a pass rusher and made plays on Saturday.
There’s a real possibility that the Vikings take 11 defensive linemen on the roster. And you could make an argument that it’s not enough. They’ll probably leave out guys like Taki Taimani and Tyler Batty, two young players they like. In normal conditions, they would have a good shot at making the roster, but the Vikings are so deep in the trenches that players with good upside have to go.
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