Minnesota committed a holding penalty on the opening kickoff and was pinned inside its 20, but McCarthy didn't sweat the setback. He handed off to running back Jordan Mason once before completing his first attempt to receiver Jordan Addison for a gain of 5 yards on a bootleg to his left. On his first "weighty" down of the day, the 22-year-old connected with Addison, again, for a pickup of 10 to convert a third-and-4.
Mason was featured frequently, carrying four times for 20 yards to help soften the defense for McCarthy.
The 2024 first-round pick's two sharpest moments demonstrated his awareness, arm strength and ball placement. On a second-and-5 at Minnesota's 33, and under duress, McCarthy spun a ball far across the field to Addison for an 18-yard chunk. It was low and outside, where only Addison was able to retrieve it.