It’s crazy to think how quickly the narratives can change in the NFL. When J.J. McCarthy was declared out with a high ankle sprain before Week 3, I looked at the schedule ahead with a real sense of dread.
You’re telling me that the Minnesota Vikings’ young quarterback, in desperate need of quality, confidence-building reps, is going to sit out the next three games? Oh boy. And who would he be making his triumphant return against after the bye? The reigning Super Bowl Champions? Super.
I’ll admit there was a small, very cowardly part of me so intimidated by the idea of Philadelphia’s defensive line pummeling McCarthy into a fine paste that I was gravitating towards the idea of keeping Wentz in the lineup as a sacrificial lamb.
But that’s not how NFL teams operate, nor should they. Minnesota’s offensive line is still piecemeal, but getting Christian Darrisaw back has been a boon, and there’s a non-zero chance that a few other pieces like Donovan Jackson or Brian O’Neill could also return out of the bye.
Not only that, Jordan Addison has added a much-needed dimension to the passing game and has raised the floor of the whole offense since his debut in Dublin (disciplinary punishments in Week 5 notwithstanding). There’s a realistic argument to be made that McCarthy may be returning to a more functional version of the Vikings offense than he left behind in Week 2 against Atlanta.
However, the biggest reason for optimism regarding McCarthy’s return may have more to do with the opposing sideline. The latest installment of Thursday Night Football solidified a trend that we’ve seen all season: The defending champs look beatable.
Even if you’re a real believer in the Dart/Skattebo combo and think Brian Daboll is entering a career renaissance, it’s hard not to get around the fact that Philly looked bad for large portions of that game. The playcalling on offense has devolved, compounded by their injury bug on the offensive line, and it led to a rather pedestrian night for the star-studded roster of Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and A.J. Brown. Even more troubling for Eagles fans was the complete collapse of their beaten-down secondary that just couldn’t get Jaxson Dart off the field.
Dart carved up Philadelphia’s undermanned defense, which entered the game without their star DT Jalen Carter, due to a heel injury, and lost star CB Quinyon Mitchell early due to a pulled hamstring. Perhaps it was the depleted roster, or maybe it was the Thursday night weirdness, but the Eagles’ defense played uncharacteristically sloppy and sluggish for most of the night. Dart’s mobility played a significant factor in the game in picking up first downs and extending plays, and this secondary had no answer but to get grabby as they attempted to cover late in the play.
As the Eagles’ offense has sputtered in fits and starts this season, they’ve been depending heavily on their defense to get stops and make big plays. But without Carter and Mitchell, the levee finally broke, and they simply had no answers.
It was an abysmal performance from Kelee Ringo, who was toasted by Lil’Jordan Humphrey fresh off the practice squad, and was benched early on for Adoree’ Jackson after getting beat on a 26-yard crosser from Wan’Dale Robinson. Jackson stabilized things briefly in relief of Ringo, but Quinyon Mitchell‘s injury forced Ringo back on the field. CB2 had been the Achilles heel of this defense all season, and that was further exacerbated without their star CB1.
We don’t have much information as it stands regarding Carter or Mitchell’s statuses as they enter this nine-day stretch. Still, either/both of those players being unavailable would greatly impact the matchup in Minnesota.
It was also a defense that showed no interest in tackling as the game progressed. Cam Skattebo is an emerging star and is quickly vaulting himself to the top of the list of guys I wouldn’t want to have to tackle. Skattebo emasculated key players for Philly like Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean on Thursday, and that’s a major weakness if that issue persists.
On the other hand, Philly has had a good defense. Thursday night games are weird; this may be a minor issue. Still, even if it’s not, can J.J. McCarthy take advantage of these opportunities the way Jaxson Dart did?
I need JJ McCarthy back out there so bad, dude. https://t.co/r7KMTlZWcL
— The Brohioan (@TheBrohioan) October 10, 2025
Dart is WAY ahead of JJ. #SKOL
— Eric Thorvaldsson (@SkolValdsson) October 10, 2025
If it wasn’t blatantly obvious already, the pressure is on for McCarthy.
It’s been a long time since this fanbase was invested in the development of a young quarterback, and the online discourse is already growing contentious. It doesn’t help that Vikings fans have watched the emergence of budding stars like Dart and Drake Maye as McCarthy has nursed his ankle. Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones have also had success after spending time in Minnesota last year. If McCarthy doesn’t show something soon, the purple faithful are going to go green with envy.
But I think there are some similarities in Dart and McCarthy’s profiles, and it’s not completely unrealistic to think that McCarthy may be able to replicate some of Dart’s success. Both players have good mobility and play well outside the pocket, even if McCarthy isn’t a pure scrambler like Dart. McCarthy and Dart also have strong arms, and they can rifle in throws over the middle into tight windows. McCarthy is already behind Dart in terms of on-field resumé in the NFL, but some of that is due to sample size and extenuating circumstances.
That said, the Vikings and Kevin O’Connell would be well served to look at the way that New York has built their offense around Dart’s skillset and executed his game plan against Philly. Suppose their line can stymie Philadelphia’s defensive front, and Jordan Mason can mimic the toughness Cam Skattebo brought to that game running the football. Then, Minnesota’s offensive arsenal (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, and T.J. Hockenson) may be an even greater advantage than the weapons New York deployed on Thursday night.
After seeing what Humphrey and Robinson could do to Kelee Ringo, I’m sure Justin Jefferson has to be cackling maniacally.
It’s still not 100% that McCarthy returns to the lineup this week, but the rumblings around the team appear to be positive in that direction. And if he does, there seem to be chinks in Philadelphia’s armor that we didn’t anticipate in the offseason.
Second only to the ultimate goal of winning the game, it’s crucial to see growth from McCarthy in this game. Even if the upcoming schedule isn’t quite the murderer’s row we expected, it’s still a difficult stretch of the season. A little success to build upon would be massive for this quarterback, team, and fan base, which has felt like the most depressed 3-2 squad of my lifetime.
Perhaps Thursday night will serve as a wakeup call for Philly, and Minnesota will catch them at their angriest and most dominant nine days from now. It may also be the start of a slide, with J.J. McCarthy as the beneficiary.