12 Instant Reactions to the Vikings First Preseason Game
The Minnesota Vikings kicked off the 2025 preseason in style, defeating the starter-less Houston Texans 20-10 and showcasing quarterback J.J. McCarthy for one drive.
We’ve got 12 instant reactions to the Vikings’ first preseason game, covering standout performances, key moments, and early takeaways as the regular season inches closer.
Next up are joint practices with the New England Patriots, followed by a preseason showdown with the same team next Saturday at noon CST.
As for the dub over the Texans, these are 12 snap reactions.
Instant Reactions for Vikings-Texans
The Vikings took down the Texans 20-10 on Saturday.
Snap Takeaways
1. J.J. McCarthy basically and directly carried over his training camp to the preseason, delivering a couple of sweet throws, missing a few, and using his legs for a nifty 4th Down scamper. The man is a de facto rookie, so the 2025 campaign will bring what fans saw Saturday: many moments of promise, along with the inevitable growing pains. This is how it goes. On the whole, he looked the part in the huddle.
2. McCarthy showcased immediate rapport with Jordan Addison, as the two connected on McCarthy’s first three completions, with Addison even “bailing” McCarthy out on a couple of transactions. It’s bittersweet, too, because Addison will miss the season’s first three games due to a suspension.
3. Rondale Moore injured his knee on his first play back to somewhat live action — after injuring his knee last year. His career is now in jeopardy. There isn’t much precedent for players returning and finding stardom after back-to-back devastating knee injuries. Kevin O’Connell may need an extra wide receiver now (free agency: Amari Cooper, Gabe Davis, Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor) and must scout a new punt returner. What a raw deal for Moore.
4. Zavier Scott has a lot on the line, battling for an RB3 job against Ty Chandler. He delivered. Chandler played well, but Scott performed better. Scott’s tale is also a bit more fun as most casual fans have no idea who he is — until day. An RB3 gig is firmly in Scott’s grasp.
5. Newcomer WR Tim Jones had two special teams penalties, a disasterclass for a man hoping to latch onto the bottom of the roster as a WR6. Yikes.
6. Will Reichard kicked perfectly, and that’s what he did for the first month and a half of his rookie season in 2024. The Alabama alumnus performed poorly after returning from a quad injury last year, meaning fans paid careful attention today. Reichard passed the test.
7. Gabriel Murphy posted two sacks (technically 1.5?), a vital statistic because he’s vying for an OLB4 job and is considered the frontrunner after the first depth chart release earlier this week. The UCLA product fired up a forgettable rookie season in 2024 due to injuries and a lack of playing time, but he might have the juice to make an impact after Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner on the 2025 roster.
8. Lucky Jackson is evidently Minnesota’s WR4 — a job that became even more important after Rondale Moore’s injury — and he proved why on Saturday. He pulled down a couple of memorable balls from the fingers of Sam Howell, and Jackson’s training camp went so well that it would be weird if he didn’t make the 53-man roster in 17 days. Jackson is here to stay and may have a prominent role on offense, particularly in the first three weeks with Addison missing in action.
9. The “starting” defense — in quotes because many starters rested — had a day to forget. The Texans marched on Brian Flores’ group, and one must assume that Flores just didn’t bring anything fancy scheme-wise this weekend. He likely brought his vanilla shell defense. Otherwise, the first-tems flatly underwhelmed.
10. Max Brosmer looked surgical against the Texans — those first three words have never been typed on this website. The Golden Gopher provided layered throws and looked the part of a legitimate NFL quarterback, at least by preseason standards. It was a big deal, as Brosmer went undrafted in April, and Minnesota will need a QB3 in 2025 behind J.J. McCarthy and Sam Howell.
11. Speaking of Howell, he righted the ship. Howell’s training camp featured interception-happy tendencies early on, only steadying in the final handful of days. On Saturday, though, Howell very much looked like a trustworthy QB2, a crucial development behind a 22-year-old passer in McCarthy.
12. Final thoughts: Current QB3 Brett Rypien played terribly and looks like a roster cut. Curiously, Blake Brandel played at offensive tackle; he was a guard last year. Undrafted free agent Chaz Chambliss is apparently an off-ball linebacker, not an EDGE. Rookie 3rd-Round WR Tai Felton posted a couple of semi-impressive plays after a quiet training camp.
You must be logged in to post a comment.