MINNEAPOLIS – J.J. McCarthy let it fly.

The Vikings rookie led receiver Trishton Jackson with the deep ball, dropping it right where it needed to be. Jackson caught McCarthy's pass in stride and jogged effortlessly into the paint for a Minnesota touchdown.

He swag-stepped his way toward a sea of purple cheering in the stands of U.S. Bank Stadium, soaking in the moment of his first NFL touchdown, then turned and sprinted back toward Minnesota's bench and a celebrating Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson, who didn't play Saturday but was mic'd up as part of the FOX 9/KFAN 100.3-FM simulcast, ran down the sideline in iridescent Oakley shades shouting, "Let's gooo! There we go, boy!"

Jefferson and Jalen Nailor were among the first to reach Jackson, while McCarthy received a congratulatory head-butt from left tackle David Quessenberry before running off to join the sideline celebration.

McCarthy told Twin Cities media members following Minnesota’s 24-23 preseason win that he and Jackson had discussed the play call Friday.

"We were talking about it yesterday, [and I told him] that he was gonna win, and I trusted him," McCarthy said. "They played the perfect coverage for it, and he was kind of just staring at me the whole time, the corner back there, and [Trishton] just won with his feet. Such a talented player, and I'm happy that the world got to see what he could do."

It wasn't only Jackson – who opted not to keep the touchdown ball, instead hoping for a regular-season opportunity – fans got to see do his thing.

McCarthy impressed in his NFL debut, finishing the day 11-of-17 passing for 188 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception with a passer rating of 116.8. His second TD pass occurred just five minutes after the first; on first-and-10 from the Las Vegas 33, he connected with veteran receiver Trent Sherfield, Sr.

"I thought the go ball was beautiful," Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said. "Trishton did a great job closing the space, stepping on the corner's toes and slipping by him. And J.J. … trusting him to go to the spot. Beautiful throw.

"And then the second touchdown to Trent, really off of a hard play-action," O'Connell continued. "Started to feel them, you know, fit gaps a little quicker and thought we could maybe get an easy one over the top, but you've still got to hit it. Once again, comes off the fake, eyes up, one hitch, ball out. So, really positive."

But even with two long touchdowns in McCarthy's first game as a Viking, it might be the interception that speaks louder … in a good way.

Wait, what?

The pick occurred early in the second quarter and on McCarthy's third pass of the game. On third-and-8 from the Raiders 44, he attempted a throw to Jackson but was intercepted by cornerback Jack Jones.

McCarthy could have hung his head, gotten upset or lost self-confidence.

He did none of the above. While he's sure to spend plenty of time studying the erred play, he moved on quickly in the moment and bounced back in notable fashion.

"What an opportunity, honestly," McCarthy told reporters. "In this league, things are going to go bad. It's your ability to respond and navigate those waters when it does happen. Just being able to have that goldfish memory, go back out there and, you know, have that 'sling-it' mentality was what I needed."

Jackson emphasized the poise McCarthy demonstrated throughout his two quarters of play.

"Football is gonna be football. I'm pretty sure he's gonna throw another interception in his career, and after seeing today, I know how he's gonna bounce back from that," Jackson said. "That gives us confidence as a team [in J.J.], the offense and even in the coaches, to know that we come together as a team and we're gonna get out of any situation that presents itself to us."

Jackson expressed the utmost confidence in McCarthy and Sam Darnold alike after their performances.

Darnold, whom the Vikings added during free agency this spring, is listed on the team’s unofficial depth chart as QB1 and got the start Saturday.

He also garnered positive attention from fans during his one-drive outing that included completions of 19 and 26 yards, respectively, to Nailor. The second play received an especially excited reaction from the crowd as Darnold threaded the needle over the outstretched arm of linebacker Robert Spillane.

"Dime. Dime. An absolute dime," McCarthy said of Darnold's pass. "It's just such an artistry throw that … a lot of people in the quarterback world appreciate."

Darnold was 4-of-8 passing for 59 yards with a 74.5 passer rating. He led a smooth opening drive despite unfortunate technical issues with his helmet's headset.

"It was kind of going in and out. I kind of had to run over to K.O. (O'Connell) a couple times [to get the play], so I got my cardio in today, which was good," he quipped.

But Darnold said he "felt good out there" otherwise, appreciating the opportunity to put reps on tape and build on his connection with teammates like Nailor and Jordan Addison, who also logged a 7-yard catch.

"It was great to get out there and play some football again. It was fun," Darnold said. "[It was good] with the drive that we had. I just think, trying to stay on schedule a little bit better. We got ourselves in some third-and-longer situations that you kind of want to stay out of, but we were able to convert those third downs and go down [the field]."

O'Connell said Darnold did a great job opening the game for Minnesota and efficiently moving the ball down the field. Nailor called him an "excellent quarterback."

"Making the right reads, putting the ball where it needs to be, just playing confident and taking control of the offense," Nailor said. "I really, really love that about him."

Darnold also tipped his hat to McCarthy but noted he wasn't surprised by the rookie's performance.

"He's kind of done that throughout camp, too," Darnold said. "Whenever he makes a mistake, really, throughout the whole quarterbacks room, if we make a mistake, I feel like we've been doing a really good job of being able to bounce back.

"It was really, really cool to see him bounce back in the moment during his first game at U.S. Bank [Stadium] in a live preseason game," Darnold added. "That was really good to see out of J.J."

It's early, of course, but McCarthy's teammates see promise in the 21-year-old.

Sherfield spent time with four teams over the past six seasons and has seen his share of young passers. He believes McCarthy is special.

"J.J. is going to be a really good quarterback. I've said that before, and you've seen it today. A young guy, but he takes the game seriously. He approaches it like a vet," Sherfield said. "Maybe one of the first times – I've been in the league for seven years and seen a couple of rookie quarterbacks come in, and he's stood out to me from his preparation and how he attacks every single day.

"I've had conversations with him and am really excited to see him flourish in this league," Sherfield added. "I think you guys have only seen a glimpse of what he can do."

McCarthy playing a good chunk of the game (from the end of the first quarter into the third quarter) and being bookended by Darnold and Jaren Hall had been predetermined, O'Connell noted. The head coach is intentional in McCarthy's development plan, which will continue through the upcoming joint practices with the Browns, game against Cleveland next Saturday and final preseason contest against the Eagles the following week.

"A huge part of it is these real game reps where there's coaches on the sideline. It's just them and the defense and the officials out there, and I want to see him continue to progress," O'Connell said. "But clearly everybody can see the arm talent. I just love seeing him come right back after the interception and still be aggressive, still stay true to footwork, timing, rhythm and where his eyes should be.

"There were a lot of positives with J.J.'s performance tonight and a lot of areas where we'll be able to hit the ground running when these guys are back in on Monday," O'Connell added.