J.J. McCarthy is unlikely to start the Minnesota Vikings’ regular season opener and Saturday probably didn’t change that.
But McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in his NFL preseason debut, gave the Vikings a lot to look forward to in a 24-23 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
McCarthy made some mistakes, most notably a bad interception on his first drive, but rebounding from that mistake adds to the positive vibes from McCarthy’s performance. McCarthy had some fantastic throws. McCarthy played a bit past the halfway mark of the third quarter, and completed 11-of-17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. The highlight that can really get Vikings fans excited happened in the second half when McCarthy threw a beautiful deep ball to Trishton Jackson for a smooth 45-yard touchdown. McCarthy hit Jackson perfectly in stride.
That came long after Raiders starters on defense had taken a seat. In the regular …