J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings are on a bye in Week 6 which has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After looking like that may be a bit too early in the season, their injury situation has made it a near-necessity.
Arguably the most important question when they return to the field against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 is who starts under center. Carson Wentz looked like the logical choice, but a nagging shoulder injury could put that in question.
Kevin O'Connell
Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
J.J. McCarthy has been trending toward a return from his high ankle sprain, but timelines have varied. It may not be the malady that keeps him out though, and rather a need to trust him in game action.
Kevin O’Connell to exercise caution with JJ McCarthy
To this point we have heard plenty about the Minnesota Vikings not being ready to give J.J. McCarthy the quarterback job back until he is healthy. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis brings up another issue for the young signal caller though.
In the first two weeks, McCarthy did not appear to have acclimated very well to NFL speed. Processing correctly only pays off if the thrower is accurate, and both will be paramount when McCarthy returns.
Will that be in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles? It’s too early to say. Most telling will be McCarthy’s workload in practice next week. O’Connell has been clear that McCarthy must go through a whole week of practice from start to finish before he plays. The Vikings aren’t going to hold McCarthy out because of the level of opponent, but they are going to be smart about putting him in an environment they believe gives him the best chance at building some momentum.
Alec Lewis – The Athletic
The whole idea that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth is applicable here. It’s understandable for the Minnesota Vikings to have had a level of confidence in J.J. McCarthy. They also have to see what transpired during his two contests on the field.
The reality is that he completed just 58.5% of his passes, and threw a pair of touchdowns up against three interceptions. Calling him a handoff merchant or something along those lines isn’t fair. It’s also beyond logical to understand that he has next to zero experience at this level.
It really doesn’t matter how much McCarthy was in the building last year. He wasn’t available for game action and is essentially learning on the fly while being given the keys to drive the car. For a Vikings team attempting to win now, this is a tough needle to thread.
Preseason mattered for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell opted to treat the preseason like a nothingburger this year. That’s fine because that’s largely what it is. However, when breaking in a brand new, untested quarterback, there should have been more intent to get things working together.
The head coach addressed game speed to Lewis following the contest in London as well.
“If you’re not getting the ball out quick in quick game, it’s just dropback passing with worse protection.”
His point? Operating quick game requires a quarterback capable of scanning quickly and decisively pulling the trigger. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz has his faults, but one of his strengths has been his ability to spit the ball out before he’s pressured. McCarthy, on the other hand, has played a tick slow. That’s not an indictment of his play, but more so to be expected from a quarterback who hasn’t played a game in nearly two years.
Early on, O’Connell seemed to be trying to paint a clear picture for McCarthy.
The Athletic
Joint practices aren’t the same as actual game action, and O’Connell operating as though they are was a misstep. We saw that during the Chicago Bears game, and we have seen it remain a constant as McCarthy attempts to process the game as it plays out before him.
If and when McCarthy returns, he’ll now be doing so off of an injury and without a level of comfort for the intensity that the NFL demands. That is only going to come with actual reps under center, but trial by fire is the best he’ll get now.
Mentioned in this article: Carson Wentz J.J. McCarthy Kevin O'Connell More About: Minnesota Vikings