The first preseason game of the year isn’t usually a defining moment for any NFL team, but when the Vikings host the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon, the game could have a major impact on Kevin O’Connell and his coaching staff as the team continues to prepare for the 2024 season.

Two quarterbacks will make the first impression. Presumed starter Sam Darnold will get a chance to show how he stacks up as the team’s temporary quarterback. That title isn’t meant to be offensive, but it’s clear that the Vikings want JJ ​​McCarthy as their QB1, otherwise they wouldn’t have used the No. 10 pick in the draft to secure his services.

McCarthy will also get a chance to show how much he has learned so far and whether his time as quarterback-in-waiting will be short-lived or whether he will have to spend a lot of time on the bench.

It is believed that McCarthy’s performance will determine the answer far more than Darnold’s, and if the two players’ performances are similar, McCarthy will be on the fast track to being in the starting lineup.

Here’s why:

While O’Connell has expressed his confidence in Darnold and will continue to speak highly of him, he has a track record of success in the NFL. Nothing in his past performances suggests Darnold can string together outstanding performances.

He may be a very capable backup, perhaps even the best in the NFL in that role, but his best season was 2019, when he led the Jets to a 7-6 record by completing 273 of 441 passes for 3,024 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. A halfway decent season five years ago doesn’t inspire confidence for 2024.

McCarthy comes to the Vikings after leading Michigan to the College Football Playoff two years in a row and winning the national championship last year. McCarthy became the starter at Michigan by beating out a solid incumbent, Cade McNamara, despite having no experience at a top-tier college program. He is a very quick learner and is not a quarterback who will settle for sitting on the bench just because he is a freshman.

O’Connell is the picture of a modern NFL head coach, and he knows that rookie quarterbacks don’t need to watch NFL football before being thrown into the team. If he believes the quarterbacks are similar in their execution and ability, McCarthy will get an opportunity to start in the NFL relatively early this season.

McCarthy could make the decision even easier if he outperformed Darnold. While their game against the Raiders will be important, the coaching staff has seen both of them practice every day. There are already opinions before the game and those will likely carry more weight after the first preseason game.

It won’t simply come down to which quarterback has the better numbers. That may play a role, but the deciding factors will be command of the offense and how teammates react to both men. Darnold is a veteran player and that will give him an advantage, but does he have more natural leadership and charisma than McCarthy? That’s for the coaches to figure out.

The Vikings must believe those latter categories are McCarthy’s strengths. That’s why they drafted him and that’s why they let Kirk Cousins ​​leave as a free agent. Cousins ​​is a talented NFL passer and he was extremely popular in the Minnesota locker room.

However, none of those traits were even close to being an advantage when the Vikings faced elite opponents. Cousins ​​was often mediocre or below average in those games. McCarthy was exceptional in those games at the college level.

O’Connell and his coaches are hoping for a brilliant idea from McCarthy that suggests he will shine in such games in the NFL.

It all starts with the first preseason game of the summer.