6 days from a nationally televised preseason games against Las Vegas

[purplefaithful]

Vikings will start Sam Darnold at quarterback in Saturday’s preseason opener

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Sam Darnold will start, followed by rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy for a “significant” amount of playing time against the Raiders.

“It’s been something that I’ve worked on the last couple years,” Darnold said last week. “The first few years haven’t been as accurate as I wanted to be. So it’s been a point of emphasis for me in the offseason just to get better at that. ... You can’t be satisfied with having a good throw one play. The next play it can catch up to you fast in this league.”

Under O’Connell, most Vikings starters typically sit in the preseason. But this year, coaches need to evaluate a new starting quarterback, currently Darnold, after quarterback Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons in March.

“Making sure we’re preparing our team to get off to a good start,” O’Connell said. “It’s a great [opportunity] with it being a home game, and only one set of joint practices this year.”

McCarthy joked he’s looking forward to facing a “vanilla defense,” alluding to how basic defensive game plans can be in the preseason, after seeing coordinator Brian Flores’ varied attacks for three weeks in camp. The former Michigan national champion also wants to carry over good practice habits into a game.

“Making sure the things we harp on: all the little details, all the little intricacies that go into each and every rep show up on game day,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “When there’s a lot of noise and there’s a crowd, just being able to lock in to the level of my training that I’ve been doing on a consistent basis since I got here. And to be able to do it when the time matters.”

This will be the first NFL game for many rookies, but it will also be linebacker Blake Cashman’s first game back home at U.S. Bank Stadium. Cashman, the Gophers and Eden Prairie product, said he expects to play at least a little bit on Saturday. He has never played at U.S. Bank Stadium in his previous five NFL seasons with the Texans and Jets.

https://www.startribune.com/vikings-qb-s.../600963984

[purplefaithful]

He will likely get a lot of reps when the Vikings host the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

At long last, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will suit up for the Vikings on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. Though the game itself won’t count toward anything, it will signal the start of a new chapter for McCarthy, as well as a turning of the page for the Vikings after selecting him with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“No matter what, playing in U.S. Bank Stadium, there’s always going to be sizzle,” McCarthy said. “Just hearing about it and feeling the energy of this fan base, I know that it’s going to be a live environment.”

It’s still unclear if veteran quarterback Sam Darnold will play at any point in the preseason. In the past, coach Kevin O’Connell has opted against playing his starters, and if he decides to stick with the trend, McCarthy could see a lot of playing time over the next few weeks.

What is he most looking forward to seeing?

“Just a vanilla defense,” McCarthy said with a laugh. “Honestly.”

That was a reference to some of the exotic looks defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been presenting throughout training camp at TCO Performance Center. As frustrating as it’s been for McCarthy to navigate at times, he understands that it’s an important part of his development.

“It’s just going to make things in the season a whole lot easier,” McCarthy said. “I’m thankful for that defense every single day.”

Truthfully, McCarthy has been very impressive to this point, displaying immense growth from the spring to the summer. He looks more much comfortable throwing the ball in training camp, for example, compared to when he was reworking his fundamentals in organized team activities. He’s also showcased a knowledge of the playbook that comes as a result of hours upon hours of studying on his own.

The next step for McCarthy is translating that onto the field during a game.

“Just making sure all the little intricacies that go into each and every rep show up,” McCarthy said when asked what he’s focused on heading into the game. “Just being able to lock in to the level of my training that I’ve been doing on a consistent basis since I got here and to be able to do it when the time matters.”

As much as he wants to perform at a high level when he steps onto the field, McCarthy also vowed to soak in the moment as best he could. He referenced a phrase he his former head coach Jim Harbaugh used to utter during their time together at Michigan: “The days are long. The years are short.”

That’s something McCarthy can relate to now that he’s made it.

“Just being here for four months, it’s felt like four days,” McCarthy said. “I’m having an absolute blast.”

That will continue this weekend.

“I can’t wait to go out there with the boys and put on display what we’ve been doing since April,” McCarthy said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”


https://www.twincities.com/2024/08/07/vi...preseason/

[Vanguard83]

"Vanilla defense" translated....."Bulletin board material"

Probably not a good idea to give other teams motivation to take your head off, but what do I know...

[purplefaithful]

"Vanilla defense" translated....."Bulletin board material" 

Probably not a good idea to give other teams motivation to take your head off, but what do I know...

You think so?

I dont see it as something that'll fire-up the Raiders or seen as slight to them. 

Hell, its just pre-season. Everyone just wants to stay healthy, get better and put out some good video.

[StickierBuns]

Interesting to see Drake Maye got what, 1 series? Threw 2 dump off passes. Why even play him? And Joe Milton is now getting the 'he's a stud' treatment because he played against garbage and looked ok hitting a guy that was wide open.

Prepare for JJM being The King or The Bust come Saturday night. My guess? Typical preseason football: mistakes, decent plays, fire drills, blitzes, etc. all causing chaos and you're left wondering what can I take from this as a fan, lol?

[Knucklehead]

I only ask for no additional season ending injuries to any of our starters. The game itself is irrelevant.

[StickierBuns]

I only ask for no additional season ending injuries to any of our starters. The game itself is irrelevant.

Yep. Always the best outcome.

Looking forward to watching some QB action today in Vikingland.

[purplefaithful]

1st pre-season game, should be kinda sloppy...I'm curious to see the new special team rules and how teams are executing that on the field. I want to see the kid kicker too.

[pattersaur]

Excited to see how JJM looks today and ready to see some other guys stand out too.

Our 3-0 last season versus the Raiders was one of the ugliest games I've ever watched, so I'm glad the NFL decided to run it back ha.

[AGRforever]

I can’t recall the last time I was this excited for preseason football. Very much looking forward to seeing the beginning of a new era.