MINNEAPOLIS — The 50-50 ball went for 50.

The Vikings faced the Ravens for the teams' second preseason game Saturday afternoon, a contest Baltimore won 13-3. On second-and-7 from the Vikings 40, J.J. McCarthy dropped back, evaded a sack, climbed the pocket and let the ball fly down the field. Tai Felton leapt to snag the catch over Baltimore's Silas Walters and secured it en route to the ground for a 50-yard gain; he then calmly stood up and flicked the football into a spin on the turf.

The reception was a difficult one to make in close coverage — but Felton never planned anything other than a completion.

"Something my dad, and my coach growing up, he always told me, 'If it hits your hands, it's got to be caught,' " Felton said. "That's something I've just been taking with me in my career. And when you're playing with these guys, they don't drop balls. I've got to live up to that standard when I get in the game."

"These guys" refers to Minnesota's top trio of receivers in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings — all of whom were elated to see their younger teammate make such an impressive grab.

Felton noted "the guys were hyped up" after the play.

"They were juiced, man. I wish I would've gotten in the end zone and stayed up a little bit, but it was definitely fun making that happen," he said.

Interestingly, the play wasn't even initially installed for the preseason matchup.

Going into Minnesota's second offensive series of the day, Vikings Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips relayed the change of plans to J.J. McCarthy, who gave Felton a head's up one down ahead of time.

"He told me, 'The next play after this one, we're gonna do this instead of [the original call]. I was like, 'OK, cool,' " Felton nonchalantly recounted postgame. "When I saw the ball in the air, I just tried to have the confidence I have … when any ball is thrown my way. It was exciting to make that happen."

McCarthy noted the sideline communication between Phillips and Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, calling the play "a great idea" to add in.

"It was just kind of what we were seeing out there, knowing when we were going fast, we were going to get a specific coverage, high probability of getting that coverage," McCarthy said. "It came to fruition, just him running a great route and the offensive line protecting and making the throw down the field."

Executing the explosive play when Randy Moss was on the sideline only sweetened the moment.

"It was awesome," said Felton, who appreciated the opportunity to learn from Moss during the week when the Hall of Famer visited the Vikings during joint practices with the Ravens.

Asked about specific takeaways from Moss, Felton pointed to approaching every game with confidence.

"Randy, he was a guy that had a lot of swag," he said. "He talked a lot of trash. So definitely the confidence on going in there and making every play."

Felton's increased comfortability and sureness has shown up throughout the spring and summer, and he's made several impressive catches during training camp.

"It was good to see him make a couple plays today," O'Connell said. "We want to continue to see where he's at and his ability to execute at multiple positions because that's going to be his game-day role. He's got to be ready to really serve a depth position behind those top three guys, and we want to get him some work.

"He's got a different skill set with his speed, explosiveness," O'Connell added.

Felton played the first quarter for Minnesota and finished his day with three catches for 66 yards. Rookie receiver Dillon Bell led the team in catches with six for 51 yards, and Jeshaun Jones had five catches for 63 yards. Dontae Fleming added two for 16 yards. Myles Price was targeted four times, including once in the end zone, but logged just a single reception for 8 yards.

Price got open in the paint on a fourth-and-goal midway through the first quarter, but McCarthy's pass over jumping OLB Ethan Burke was high and outside of his range.

"Things happen. It's football," Price said of McCarthy's throw. "I couldn't reach it."

Price maintained the positive demeanor and smile he's known for, which came in handy pregame in pumping up his teammates. Veteran safety Joshua Metellus typically delivers a fiery pregame speech, but on a day the starters didn't play, he couldn't be immediately located in the huddle — so Price stepped up.

"I was looking for 4-4. He was nowhere to be found. Then they're calling my name. I'm like, 'All right, I guess,' " Price laughed. "I think I said something like, 'When we look to our left and to our right, make sure we can look each other in the eyes and know we gave it everything we had."

"It was a little short; I don't think he was ready for it," Felton quipped. "But it was good enough; it got us going. Hopefully he'll have a more planned one next time."

As the Vikings prepare for their third preseason game, a road contest in Denver Friday night, the young receivers know they've got to bring all they have — the competition for depth spots is a tight one.

"We know everybody's competing for a spot," Fleming said. "Coach always tells us that, at the end of the day, those are your brothers. When practice is over, we hang out a lot, do all kinds of things together — but like they always say, we're fighting for our jobs."

Felton is no stranger to biding his time, comparing his Vikings career thus far to his time at Maryland. He's grateful to be making an impact when given the opportunity, but he also knows nothing is guaranteed — and he plans to continue making plays every chance he gets.

"Never getting too high on the highs, never getting too low on the lows. I'm just learning every day," Felton said, "and when my time comes, my number gets called, just going in there and balling out."

View the Vikings 2026 Schedule.

See future opponents for the Vikings.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.

See more about the 2028 NFL Draft in Minnesota.