Kevin O’Connell gave J.J. McCarthy a quizzical look when he saw his first-year quarterback wear a blue-collared shirt ahead of the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 9 game in Detroit.
Upon entering Ford Field, McCarthy bro-hugged Minnesota’s head equipment guy, Mike Parson. Then he fist-bumped Tom Pelissero – who was standing next to O’Connell for some reason – and his head coach, who gave McCarthy’s get-up the side-eye.
McCarthy wore the same outfit to his post-game press conference after beating the Detroit Lions 27-24. There, he explained its significance.
“I’m a Michigan man, and I love this state, through and through,” McCarthy said. “I love everything that went into kind of cultivating and crafting who I am as an individual, who I am as a football player.”
When he coached McCarthy at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh used the blue-collar shirt as a reward. It’s a tribute to the autoworkers in Motown, and a mentality he tried to emphasize with his football team.
“I don’t know how many games you have to play to earn one,” said McCarthy. “But it’s just a blue-collar mentality, going to work. Regardless of where it is, regardless of the situation, regardless of the circumstances, we’re just going there to do our job.”
J.J. McCarthy was 14 of 25 for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
“I’m happy that we got the win, but I’m not proud (of his own performance),” he said. “There’s a lot of meat on the bone, and I feel I could have played better.”
Still, McCarthy did the little things right. He got in and out of the huddle on time, progressed, and aligned his feet and eyes to his receivers. He also struck a balance between not forcing the ball while avoiding playing too conservatively.
“J.J. was able to make to move the football,” said O’Connell. “Give us that new set of downs, give us that chance to reestablish the run game.”
McCarthy’s third-down throw to Jalen Nailor, who reeled in a contested catch while falling backward, sealed the game. However, O’Connell highlighted McCarthy’s 31-yard completion to Jordan Addison as the pass that got him in rhythm.
On Minnesota’s second drive, McCarthy faced third-and-nine from Detroit’s 38-yard line. McCarthy found Addison for a deep reception that set up his touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson on the next play, putting the Vikings up 14-7 late in the first quarter.
JJ McCarthy goes DEEP to Addison on 3rd & 9
MINvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8fVP1UV62t
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
“The plays where he looks decisive, that’s just him playing position and finding completions,” said O’Connell. “I thought that early Jordan Addison conversion was a good time play on a third down.
“He will continue to learn to just stay totally present and level in each moment, and just continue to work and make up for a lot of lost time in these situations to be able to just consistently do his job.”
McCarthy said he feels that the Vikings are just starting to scratch the surface of their potential. He’ll have to keep improving for them to do that this year. However, he took a meaningful step in Detroit.
He didn’t put up video game numbers, but he operated the offense with aplomb in a hostile environment. When McCarthy got the call from O’Connell late in the fourth on the play that eventually went to Naylor, he said his first thought was to focus on each step individually.
“It was just starting my operation, starting my thought process,” he said. “It’s just all about how we execute that individual play regardless of the circumstances.”
Put the Nailor in this one. pic.twitter.com/9sWqcpxu4w
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
J.J. McCarthy made a gutsy pass, and Nailor secured a contested catch. Still, McCarthy was able to deliver in a hostile environment by keeping things simple. After struggling to turn Minnesota’s motor over in seven of the first eight quarters he played, McCarthy started the engine by keeping things simple.
He didn’t do anything fancy. McCarthy just put his head down and did his job.