Minnesota, MN – The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their preseason campaign with a thrilling 24-23 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. While the narrow win might not have sent shockwaves through the NFC, it did highlight some key storylines for the Vikings.
One of the biggest talking points to emerge from the game was quarterback Sam Darnold’s frustration with headset issues. The Vikings’ projected starter had a decent outing, leading the team on a 66-yard drive, but his performance was marred by communication problems.
“It was just kind of going in and out,” Darnold said. “I kind of had to run over to (O’Connell) a couple times, like it was high school. I got my cardio in.”
Despite the technical difficulties, the Vikings managed to outgain the Raiders by 144 yards, finishing with 452 total yards of offense. While the close score might raise some eyebrows, the overall performance suggests the team is in good shape heading into the regular season.
The victory comes amidst a flurry of offseason activity for the Vikings, including a trade with the Cowboys involving defensive backs and the continued development of rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy.
As the Vikings look ahead to the 2024-2025 season, they’ll hope to iron out any communication issues and build on the momentum generated from their preseason opener.
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