Minnesota Vikings first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy ended his first NFL drive with an ugly interception. But he didn't let that error define his outing, going on to command Minnesota to three touchdowns on his next five drives.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders‘ quarterback battle between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew kicked off, and each managed a big-time throw. It was the Vikings who prevailed, though, by a 24-23 score in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason.
PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
The preseason is home to second-, third- and even fourth-string units. It's often not a true test for rookies, but Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy impressively rebounded from an early pick against the Raiders to carve up the defense later on.
The expected successor to Sam Darnold at some point this season or next, McCarthy made one big-time throw and two touchdown passes on 17 attempts. He earned 90.5% of his passing yards through the air (as opposed to after the catch) and got the ball out faster on average than Darnold or Raiders veteran Gardner Minshew.
BOX SCORE
| Raiders | Vikings | |
| Total points | 23 | 24 |
| Total offensive plays | 65 | 63 |
| Average EPA per play | -0.019 | 0.099 |
| Total net yards | 307 | 452 |
| Avg yards per play | 4.7 | 7.2 |
| Total first downs | 16 | 18 |
| Rushing first downs | 3 | 4 |
| Passing first downs | 13 | 14 |
| Penalty first downs | 0 | 0 |
| Third-down efficiency | 31% | 33% |
| Fourth-down efficiency | 10% | 11% |
| Possessions | 12 | 12 |
| Avg plays per drive | 6.3 | 5.9 |
| Avg yards per drive | 23.6 | 34.8 |
| Avg points per drive | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Red-zone posessions | 4 | 2 |
| Red-zone plays | 15 | 7 |
| Red-zone TDs | 2 | 0 |
| Red-zone FGs | 2 | 1 |
| Red-zone scoring efficiency | 100% | 50% |
SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION
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