MINNEAPOLIS — This is what the Minnesota Vikings do. Right here. It was the first drive in the first quarter of a preseason game, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t time for a play-action pass. Here was second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Faking the handoff. Planting his feet. Firing an out route, angled toward the left sideline. The throw wasn’t perfect, …
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After losing the first six preseason games of the Kevin O’Connell era, the Vikings have now won four in a row. They opened their three-game exhibition slate on Saturday afternoon with a 20-10 win over the Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Some of the starters saw some action early on before handing things over to players further down the depth …
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The Minnesota Vikings played their preseason opener at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and there were a lot of encouraging signs from both sides of the ball to work with going forward. The Vikings saw some good things from starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and the defense forced three fourth-quarter turnovers to help close things out and push the Vikings …
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Kevin SeifertAug 9, 2025, 08:32 PM ET Close Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. …
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The news for Vikings receiver and punt returner Rondale Moore is not expected to be good. After Saturday’s preseason opener, Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters that Moore suffered a “pretty significant” injury to his left knee during a first-half punt return. Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, O’Connell added that the play had “some characteristics” of a hip-drop tackle. O’Connell …
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Rondale Moore can’t catch a break. Moore, who didn’t play last season with a knee injury, was injured with 10:30 remaining in the second quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against Houston. He returned a Tommy Townsend punt 2 yards before Texans linebacker Jamal Hill tackled him along the sideline. Moore did not get up. He required a cart to get …
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Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has never hidden his feelings about preseason games. It’s not that he thinks they don’t matter. He just doesn’t view them as key evaluation points for the starters. For the backups, though? It’s an entirely different story. In past years, eventual members of the 53-man roster staked their claims on Saturday afternoons like this one …
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At long last, football returns to U.S. Bank Stadium this weekend. Not regular season football just yet, but football nonetheless. The Vikings are all set to kick off their three-game preseason slate against the Texans at 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon (NFL Network, FOX 9). If you want a chance to catch J.J. McCarthy and some other Minnesota starters …
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“I know they would do the same thing for me,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “Just as a QB and a former hockey player — I used to be the enforcer out there, believe it or not — I love that stuff, letting my teammates know I got their back. ‘Cause I know they’ve got mine.” McCarthy has also been flashing his …
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