What we learned from the Vikings’ 20-10 preseason win over the Texans

Of the announced crowd of 66,715 at the Vikings’ preseason opener Saturday, the fans who were at U.S. Bank Stadium got to see quarterback J.J. McCarthy back on the field for the first time in a year. They also saw a cleaner showing from the team’s first two offensive units than they had put together in training camp.

McCarthy played 12 snaps while directing a field-goal drive to start the game, completing four of his seven passes for 30 yards and running for 8 yards to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-5. Sam Howell, who finished the first half after McCarthy left the game, went 11 for 13 for 105 yards, and ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

After throwing a pair of touchdown passes in his first preseason game last year, McCarthy reported knee soreness that turned out to be a torn right meniscus. He returned to the field 364 days later on Saturday, surprised by the tears coming to his eyes during the national anthem.

“I felt like I played a whole season [last year], and this was only my second game,” McCarthy said. “It was something that did catch me off guard, but it just shows how much I care for this game.”

Here are five observations from the Vikings’ 20-10 win over the Texans in their preseason opener:

The Vikings played most of their starters for the first drive of the game, hoping to see a clean series from their second-year quarterback before sitting him down. McCarthy’s accuracy wasn’t perfect; he threw behind Jordan Addison on his first completion, and fired too high for Lucky Jackson on a third down before Will Reichard kicked a 48-yard field goal to wrap up the drive. But the quarterback commanded the offense well, and the fact he picked up a first down with his feet was what allowed the Vikings to get points from the first drive.

He benefited from cleaner pockets than he’s had in training camp; he stepped away from a late pressure from Tim Settle Jr. before an 18-yard strike to Addison, but had time to set up in the pocket before delivering.

The Vikings sent a fifth-round pick to Seattle for Howell, planning for the former Commanders starting QB to be the primary backup for McCarthy. The 24-year-old’s struggles in training camp have come against the Vikings’ invasive pass rush, but on Saturday, he had a sharper day while playing much of the first half. He threw a strike to Jalen Nailor on an out route to pick up a third-and-9, and found Jackson for 17 yards while dealing with a collapsing pocket. Howell’s final two throws of the day went for 20 and 11 yards, respectively, before Howell scored on a QB sneak.

“Sam is one of those guys that, throughout the early stages of practice, you kept [saying], ‘I think we’re going to need to see him in game action,’” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I thought there were great examples of a guy that has played, a guy that moved the team. I was happy with Sam.”

Brett Rypien, who’d seen some second-team work this week in camp, was pulled after going 1 for 4 and getting sacked twice. Former Gophers QB Max Brosmer put the Vikings up 20-10 in the fourth quarter with a strike to Myles Price in the back of the end zone, though he fumbled a snap from Michael Jurgens on the Vikings’ next series. It was the second snap of the day a Vikings QB had fumbled from Jurgens, who also snapped to Howell on a botched exchange in the second quarter.

The Vikings brought Gabriel Murphy back from injured reserve last November, and kept him on the practice squad through the rest of the season, so they could continue developing the undrafted free agent who’d caught their eye in training camp. Murphy has continued to impress this year, and his pass-rushing performance on Saturday will only help his case. He had two sacks in the first half, chasing down Kedon Slovis for the second one before halftime on a play that was initially ruled an incomplete pass.

Murphy had five total quarterback hits; it was the kind of active showing that could put him in contention for a roster spot.

Rondale Moore missed most of the 2024 season with a right knee injury in Atlanta, before signing a one-year deal with the Vikings. On his first punt return in a Vikings uniform, he sustained a left leg injury that O’Connell called “significant” after the game. Moore was pulled down on the Texans’ sideline, and immediately grabbed his left knee after he was tackled by Jamal Hill. O’Connell ran out to check on Moore, as numerous Vikings players kneeled on the field, and a member of the Vikings’ medical staff held Moore’s lower leg as he was carted off. The Vikings will order a MRI for Moore on Sunday, but their postgame reaction certainly indicated the injury could be season-ending.

“It’s heartbreaking,” O’Connell said. “I think anybody in the ballpark today can feel the emotion. It’s one of the most painful things for me as a head coach. I make a life out of trying to leave others better than I found them, and there’s really nothing I can do, which is the worst feeling as a head coach. You just console him and make sure he knows he’s not going to be alone.”

Justin Jefferson, who was scheduled to join the Vikings’ TV broadcast in the third quarter, joined the show later than planned after spending extra time with Moore in the locker room. The Vikings will already be without Jordan Addison for the first three games of the season because of a NFL suspension, and they’d hoped for Moore to be their punt returner. His injury on Saturday raised depth concerns at both spots.

The Vikings have been intrigued by defensive back Kahlef Hailassie, who’s gotten plenty of work at safety in training camp. In fact, I put Hailassie on the roster in my initial 53-man projection; he came down with two interceptions of Graham Mertz in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Neither required a terribly high degree of difficulty — Hailassie was playing center field when Mertz overthrew everyone on the first pick, and he came down with the deflection of Tyler Batty’s batted ball on the second. But the fact he came down with both picks certainly won’t hurt his chances.

“You’re always trying to find those versatile skill sets,” O’Connell said of the former cornerback. “He’s got corner coverage skills and a physicality and some ball skills that seem to fit with how we play around here. We talk a lot about tips and overthrows with what our defense can do, and that showed up tonight.”