Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy made his NFL preseason debut on Saturday. It was rocky at first — and then it improved. Dramatically.
On his first drive, McCarthy was intercepted by Raiders defensive back Jack Jones. It was not a pretty throw. But it helped McCarthy settle down.
“After the interception, all the nerves went out the window and I just played free,” the tenth overall pick in the 2024 draft said after the game.
After the interception, McCarthy threw a pair of touchdown passes — a 45-yarder and a 33-yarder. He finished with 11 completion on 17 throws, for 188 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 116.8. He added 18 yards on two runs.
“Clearly, everybody can see the arm talent,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters after the game. “I loved seeing him come right back after the interception and still be aggressive.”
It remains to be seen when we’ll see the arm talent in a game that counts. The Vikings open the regular season in 29 days, against the Giants. Sam Darnold is the starter for now. By September 8, who knows?