MINNEAPOLIS — The opening drive was so clean and crisp, the Vikings didn't face a third down.
Minnesota built momentum from a 35-yard kickoff return to start the game and drove 61 yards on just seven plays before J.J. McCarthy fired the ball to Josh Oliver for an 18-yard touchdown to start the ball rolling in a 31-0 win over Washington.
McCarthy went 4-for-4 with 46 yards and a nearly maxed out passer rating of 154.2 during the drive. His first completion went for 9 and was the first as a Viking by tight end Ben Sims. The day continued with strikes of 19 to T.J. Hockenson and 9 to Jalen Nailor.
The efficient passes were accented with three runs for 15 yards by Aaron Jones, Sr.
As impressive as that 3:57 drive was, Minnesota's second possession was a real beaut, Clark.
Nineteen plays executed without a penalty. Ninety-eight yards traversed. Twelve minutes, one second ticked off the clock. Five third downs converted, including third-and-the-following:
6: McCarthy scrambled for a gain of 7
9: McCarthy completed a pass to Nailor for 12
8: McCarthy completed a pass to Jordan Addison for 21
12: McCarthy completed a pass to Justin Jefferson for 13
1: Jordan Mason rushed for an 8-yard touchdown
The 19 plays were the most by the Vikings during a possession since at least 2000 and tied for the longest in the NFL this season (Chicago against Dallas in Week 3).
The drive made it 14-0 with 5:41 remaining in the second quarter and allowed Minnesota to pick and choose moments on offense, as well as the Vikings defense to make the day difficult for the Commanders.
McCarthy's seventh career game wound up being his first with three touchdown passes. He's the first Vikings QB 22 or younger with three TD passes in a game since Tommy Kramer in 1977.
McCarthy finished 16-of-23 passing for 163 yards and a career-high passer rating of 129.2, his first game in the triple digits.
Oliver recorded his first career game with two touchdown receptions, hauling in a 6-yarder in the third quarter.
Hockenson powered through contact from two defenders for a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving the Vikings a TD in every quarter for the first time since Dec. 8, 2024.
This was the second time this season and just fourth under Kevin O'Connell in which the Vikings have opted to receive the opening kickoff after winning the coin toss.
Here are four more observations.
1. Takeaways times 3
Defenders, especially in Brian Flores' system, will tell you there's almost nothing better than playing with a lead.
Minnesota's defense produced a goal-line stand by forcing three incompletions on plays called from inside the Minnesota 2-yard line and cranked up the heat the rest of the day.
Andrew Van Ginkel tipped a Jayden Daniels offering to himself and returned the ball 41 yards to set up a field goal by Will Reichard in the third quarter. Daniels was blocked during the return and landed on his injured left arm, leaving the game. He finished 9-for-20 with 78 yards and a passer rating of 35.0.
Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels and was promptly intercepted by Harrison Smith, the 38th pick of Smith's storied career. He broke a tie with Ring of Honor safety Joey Browner for fourth in team history.
Minnesota followed that momentum with Oliver's second TD catch, capping a 37-yard drive for a 24-0 lead with 2:53 remaining.
Javon Hargrave recorded Minnesota's third takeaway of the day when the forced a fumble and nimbly recovered it along the sideline during a scramble by Mariota.
2. Run game racks up yards
The Vikings rushed for a whopping 162 yards on the way to totaling 313 of net offense on the day.
Jones led the way with 76 yards on 14 carries. Mason totaled 52 on 11 rushes, and McCarthy finished with 19 yards on six attempts that included a scramble of 16 and some snaps in victory formation.
The Vikings slowed down the Commanders efforts on the ground, allowing 107 on the day.
View game action photos from the Vikings vs. Commanders Week 14 game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
3. Spreading the ball
There was plenty of talk during the week about simplifying things for the offense. The result seemed to help McCarthy and the group play more in rhythm and make fewer mistakes before and after snaps.
Eight different Vikings players caught at least one pass, helping on a day when Jefferson was frequently double-teamed by Commanders defensive players.
Addison led the way with four catches for 62 yards on seven targets, and Nailor chipped in 30 yards on three catches. Jefferson finished with 11 yards on two catches but made quite the mark in freeing up teammates.
View pregame photos as the Vikings prepare for the Week 14 game against the Commanders at U.S. Bank Stadium.
4. Significance of shutouts…
One week after losing 26-0 at Seattle, Minnesota won 31-0 and recorded its first shutout in a game since the vaunted 3-0 win at Las Vegas (Dec. 10, 2023).
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