The Minnesota Vikings closed their home preseason slate with a 13-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, a game that mostly served as a chance to keep sorting through reps after two days of joint practices.
Most of the starters sat out, but J.J. McCarthy got the start and had the kind of night that comes with preseason growing pains.
He finished 5-of-10 for 81 yards, including a 50-yard strike to Tai Felton, but the offense never found the end zone. The biggest miss came on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, when McCarthy sailed a throw over an open Myles Price near the sideline.
"If we can put that ball in the end zone on one of the two final plays there, early on in a game like that, the difference between the momentum of putting the ball in there and we’ve got confidence in our defense. You’d love to capitalize on an explosive," Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. "If we could’ve finished that one, maybe the day looks different, maybe it doesn’t."
McCarthy was blunt about the missed chance.
"Those are just plays I gotta make. They called great plays, at the end of the day I know I can make those throws," McCarthy said.
"Sometimes you hit them, sometimes you miss. It’s what preseason is all about, get it out now."
He left the game "a little banged up," but said after that he is fine. Carson Wentz, meanwhile, went 9-of-11 for 92 yards in the battle for the No. 2 quarterback spot behind Kyler Murray.
The offense’s struggles weren’t limited to one drive. Minnesota was flagged six times, while the defense produced a few splash plays even as Baltimore controlled the scoreboard.
One of the more unusual moments came from Dominique "Big Citrus" Orange, the rookie lineman who showed off a different side of his game in Brian Flores’ defense. Orange made one tackle and also dropped into coverage on a play that ended with a Ravens incompletion.
At 6-2 and 322 pounds, Orange still has the athleticism to be used that way, even if it caught him off guard.
"Whew… Listen, high school? The stuff that Coach Flo allows us D-linemen to do is incredible," Orange said. "There’s a reason why he’s arguably one of the best defensive coordinators in the league."
Before the game, Myles Price found himself in a different role than the one he’s been building on the field. Josh Metellus usually handles the pregame huddle after warm-ups, but Price stepped in Saturday.
"I was looking for 44, he was nowhere to be found. They’re calling my name, I’m like alright I guess," Price joked. "I believe I said something like when we look to our left and our right, make sure we can look each other in the eyes and know we gave everything we had."
The Vikings finish the preseason next Friday night at the Denver Broncos.
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There has even been unease in 7-on-7 work with Kyler Murray, adding another layer to an offense that has not yet settled into a rhythm. Minnesotas ground attack is averaging less than four yards per carry with no touchdowns through two games, and for a team trying to sort out its identity before the games count, the questions are piling up faster than the answers. [Read more 🡒]