Lunchbreak: NFL.com Focusing on Quarterbacks in Vikings-Raiders Preseason Game (2024)

Minnesota is set to host the Raiders at 3 p.m. (CT) Saturday, and Edholm encouraged fans to keep an eye on both teams' quarterback performances. He wrote:

After taking some early lumps, J.J. McCarthy might be ready to make his move. He has a few weeks of practice and three preseason games to raise the bar. The Vikings insulated themselves properly by signing Sam Darnold, and there has been no indication that Darnold is close to relinquishing the starting gig. But McCarthy pushing him more consistently would be a good thing. It gives the Vikings options on when they want to make a switch. With [Head Coach] Kevin O'Connell indicating McCarthy will receive some first-team work in the coming days and weeks, it'll be fun to see what the rookie QB can put on tape in his preseason debut.

For Las Vegas, lots of attention will be given to Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew II vying for the starting job this season.

Edholm said, "This one is all about the quarterbacks."

There will be ample time to shine a spotlight on young standout performers such as Dylan Laube and D.J. Glaze, but for now, the focus is squarely on the competition between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. The word out of Raiders camp appears to be that neither QB has completely separated himself from the other, but with Minshew reportedly outplaying O'Connell in the team's first full-contact session Saturday night, the veteran could be making his move. How they fare against the Vikings will be another big step toward the team making a call on who the Week 1 starter will be.

With the Vikings slated for Saturday's afternoon game, fans can tune in to NFL Network beforehand to watch the Bears – and potentially the No. 1 overall draft pick, Caleb Williams – take on the Bills at noon (CT).

In the Twin Cities market, the Vikings-Raiders game will also be simulcast by FOX 9 (KMSP) and KFAN 100.3-FM.

Edholm noted that Williams didn't play in last week's Hall of Fame Game, "but it seems like there's a decent chance we'll see Williams make his debut in Buffalo."

I doubt we'll see too much of Williams, as the stated plan is to give Williams roughly 45 to 55 total snaps across the remaining three preseason games. The reports from Bears camp on Williams have been mixed, but there have been clear highlights, including a quickly blossoming connection with [Rome] Odunze.

The division-rival Packers will kick off Sunday against the Browns, which also could be an interesting matchup for Vikings fans to watch, as the Vikings will head to Cleveland next week for joint practices and the teams' second exhibition contest.

Edholm recommended watching Green Bay's special teams competitions, which include a name Minnesota fans will be familiar with.

The Packers know they need to be better in that area overall, and they're currently in the middle of what appears to be a highly contested kicker battle. Anders Carlson endured a challenging rookie season in which he seemed to lose confidence and consistency down the stretch, and now he might be behind veteran Greg Joseph for the job. There's also the new kickoff rules to consider, and I'd be shocked if wily special-teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia didn't come up with ways to use them to Green Bay's benefit somehow. The Packers have an ace returner in Keisean Nixon, who sounds excited about the altered format.

PFF ranks NFL's top 10 defensive coordinators ahead of 2024 season

We may be talking about preseason, but the regular season is just around the corner.

Buday listed Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores fourth on the list and wrote the following:

After witnessing a passive and reactive defense in previous years, Vikings fans got the complete opposite following Brian Flores' hire as defensive coordinator in 2023. The former Miami Dolphins head coach is widely regarded as one of the NFL's most aggressive defensive coaches, heavily relying on man coverages and blitzes.

And Flores did not disappoint in his first season in Minnesota, as the Vikings defense blitzed 150 more times than the second-most aggressive defense in 2023. Although the unit finished just 17^th in EPA per play allowed, this was still a step in the right direction for a mostly young and inexperienced unit that is going through a rebuild.

Ranked ahead of Flores were (from 1-3, respectively) Kansas City's Steve Spagnuolo, Philadelphia's Vic Fangio and Cleveland's Jim Schwartz. As noted above, the Vikings will share joint practices with the Browns next week.

Schwartz seems to put together elite defenses at all of his stops, as he did so in Cleveland in 2023, similar to what he had accomplished before with the Titans and the Eagles.

Despite having edge defender Myles Garrett — arguably the best defensive player in the NFL — the Browns' defense struggled in previous years. However, Schwartz unlocked the potential of the Cleveland defense in his first season with the team, relying on a strong four-man pass rush. Cleveland allowed -0.23 EPA per play to opposing offenses on pass plays, which was the best mark in the league by a significant margin.

Behind Flores from 5-10 were, in order, Cincinnati's Lou Anarumo, Carolina's Ejiro Evero, Indianapolis' Gus Bradley, Dallas' Mike Zimmer, Las Vegas' Patrick Graham and Pittsburgh's Teryl Austin.

Buday said the following of Zimmer, who served as Minnesota's head coach from 2014-21.

Zimmer returned this offseason to Dallas as a defensive coordinator after holding the same title with the Cowboys between 2000 and 2006. The last time the former Vikings head coach was a defensive coordinator at any level was more than 10 years ago — in 2013 with the Bengals. Zimmer has been out of the league since 2021, his last year with Minnesota, but during the nearly 15 years that he was a defensive coordinator before being hired by the Vikings, he was among the best in the league.

It will be intriguing to see whether he can replicate that with a very talented Dallas Cowboys defense in 2024.