In an attempt to shed light on O'Connell's formula (folks, it's simpler than you'd imagine), Breer dug through the archives of his conversations with the reigning NFL Coach of the Year and stuck on a quote he liked from August 2024, prior to Minnesota's QB battle being determined out of McCarthy's control.
"I've used this term — progress is the process," O'Connell remarked to Breer last year. "I've always said process over results, but what is process? It's just progress. Good, bad, how do I get better? Compartmentalize the results as you're learning, but never miss the chance to stack some confidence from the s—t you're doing well. That's where it's really cool, the intangibles, the work ethic, the physical traits of playing the position, the athleticism. I've seen all the things I hoped to see from J.J. and more.
"Now it's just a matter of how comfortable and how second nature we can get him playing the position at an NFL level from a consistency standpoint," the former quarterback continued. "Everybody thinks that when [J.J.] eventually plays, it's going to be perfect. No plan involves no adversity when you start playing quarterback in the NFL. Talk to Patrick Mahomes. He experiences it every single week. That's the nature of quarterback development that I don't think everybody always understands every layer to it."
Adversity definitely hammered McCarthy when the brightest lights flickered on. The first touchdown he threw went to a former Vikings teammate, Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright, not generational receiver Justin Jefferson. The McCarthy era began with six three-and-outs in the first nine drives. It featured a 16.7 third-quarter passer rating and instances of sloppy execution, from play-clock management to motion-timings and overall cohesion of an offense that left its defense out to dry for the first 45 minutes.
But McCarthy progressed, and the process bore a feverish finish that showcased special individual ability.