A Vikings win is always great! However, the injury to JJ McCarthy really stinks. The team really needs to be able to evaluate his play on the field which has seen ups and downs. The ups have been really nice while the downs can mostly be chalked up to him having very little snaps. The difficult part comes with his frequent injuries. You’d like to believe it is just unlucky but at this point, it is a legitimate concern. Going forward, I know that I will be very worried on every snap. I will not say that he is “injury prone” but he has gotten injured a lot so far. No two ways around that. Will he ever be able to play a full 17 game NFL season?
The larger question is do KOC and KAM want to continue to hitch their careers to this young QB? I do not know if they will survive if JJ does not stay healthy and pan out. It is a tough call but I know that if it were me, I would have to have a second option that is better than Max Brosmer who does have some “potential” (maybe a lot – who knows). It would be doing a disservice to the organization not to have a solid backup plan.
This is like a double knockout. First, out of the playoffs and now the QB is unable to stay on the field so that his journey can continue.
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I have been posting this article because I thought is made sense even though it is for Super Nerds.
The Sneaky Reason to Be Excited about J.J. McCarthy
A very good article here that says “NFL quarterbacks do not take any semblance of final shape, on average, until 250-300 dropbacks”. It includes a lot of super nerd stats and a comparison to Jared Goff and Josh Allen to support the theory that by the Giants game we should be seeing the real version of JJ.
JJ attemtped 713 passes at Michigan completing 482 (67.6%). He began at Michigan in 2021.
He has attempted 220 passes with the Vikings completing 126 (57.3%).
Since 2021 he has only attempted 933 passes on a footbal field in live game action. Five years worth of attempts.
A comparison is Bo Nix who attempted 1936 passes in college completing 1286 (66.4%) He began at Auburn in 2019.
He has attempted 1118 with the Broncos completing 724 (64.8%).
Since 2019, Nix has attempted 3,054 passes on a footbal field in live game action.
Since 2021, Nix has attempted 2,320 passes.
To say that JJ needs more reps is an understatement. He is fairly raw IMHO.
All we can do now is be hopeful. I doubt JJ has much trade value either. He has not been overly impressive and cant stay on the field. What team will give up a high draft pick (2nd?) to take him on?
When it comes to the Minnesota Vikings and finding a QBOTF … the more things change, the more things stay the same no?
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Cris Carter Shares Justin Jefferson’s Feelings on Vikings QB JJ McCarthy
“They’ve just been one step, one fingertip off all year, that’s why it’s such a partnership between the quarterback” Carter said before explaining Jefferson’s rationale “I don’t expect him to hit me on my numbers in my face mask every play. I’m gonna make some catches even though he’s trying to throw the ball out of bounds. And then he’s gonna have to throw it in traffic — I might go in there and catch it. We have a partnership together. This is where you see the partnership, if each person is not holding their own weight.”
Carter also applauded Jefferson for his maturity and patience as McCarthy has developed in his first year as a starter.
“The thing about Justin is that he is more mature, and he does have $140 million reasons why,” Carter added. “But he is in such a partnership with Kevin O’Connell, and they meet on a regular basis, just like he meets with the quarterbacks as far as what the franchise is doing, what type of players do we need to make some type of adjustment, how you’re doing.
“For me, when we’ve had a lot of hotheads at wide receiver, I’m telling you, this is one of the best things I’ve seen Justin Jefferson do. Besides his footwork, his route run, his big playability, his maturity in this situation — and helping that quarterback and not telling the truth — which is not part of the wide receiver DNA, it’s been exceptional.”
Carter, who maintains a close connection with the Vikings franchise as a member of the Ring of Honor, admitted that they did not expect McCarthy to be a Pro Bowler coming out of the gate.
However, the injuries have hindered his career so far.
“We knew this was coming,” Carter said of McCarthy’s struggles. “We knew that he had been spoiled. But the connection with Kevin O’Connell, we didn’t think that the offseason, or the season last year, he was going to miss as many reps, quarterback reps. Because he couldn’t get on the field because he had one knee procedure, and he had to have another one to go correct some other things.”
There’s no doubt about it now.
The Minnesota Vikings have to plan for a quarterback future with one particular thing in mind when it comes to QB J.J. McCarthy.
That is: He can’t seem to stay on the field.
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The Vikings probably don’t want to move on from McCarthy entirely after picking him No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. But they’ve got to view this through a wider lens, too.
“The Vikings will have to take into account McCarthy’s struggles to stay on the field as they plan for 2026,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on Monday. “His frenetic playing style sometimes leads to big plays, such as his 12-yard touchdown run Sunday. But it leaves him taking far too many hits, whether it be on opposing players’ helmets in the pocket or via open-field tackles outside of it.”
Crazy how much a year can change things, huh? Last season, the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings were the top two teams in the NFC, fighting not just for the division but for the top seed in the conference. This year? Both are at the bottom of the division; one team is eliminated from the playoffs, and the other is hanging on for dear life.
Minnesota Vikings: 2025 season thus far (7-8)
Stats:
26th in points scored, 12th in points allowed
21st in DVOA
29th in offensive DVOA (28th in pass DVOA, 17th in run DVOA)
6th in defensive DVOA (5th pass DVOA, 15th in run DVOA)
10th in special teams DVOA
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The biggest blow to this team this season has been the injuries, mostly on the offensive line. The Vikings have had to use over 15 different starting lineup combinations, and when you have that much changing, it’s tough for the offense to find success. The defense has seen some players battle injuries, as safety Joshua Metellus and linebacker Jonathan Greenard were placed on IR, and Van Ginkel missed five games. This team has the talent to be better, but like the Lions, injuries and offensive line issues seem to have struck them hard this season.
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Biggest strength: Special teams
With an offense and defense battling numerous injuries and inconsistencies, the special teams unit has been the bright spot for the Vikings this season. Kicker Will Reichard has had a good season, kicking 93.1 percent on field goals, fourth-highest out of kickers with at least 25 field goal attempts. Punter Ryan Wright is 10th in punting yards average at 48.7, and the Vikings’ field goal defense has blocked two kicks this season, one against Detroit.
PFF has them ranked as the number two special teams unit (90.9), and with the numbers the team has been putting up, it’s easy to see how they are the most consistent unit on the team. The defense has done all it could to carry the offense when it has a bad game, but it can only hold off teams for so long with little rest. If the offense can move the ball with some success, they can usually come away with points, and worst case, pin the opponent deep and make them earn a score.
Biggest weakness: Offensive line
When you have over 15 starting combinations and over 10 players starting on the offensive line, you can’t expect a lot of positives out of them. The Vikings are tied for third for the most sacks allowed in the NFL (51), and can you blame them? We have seen similar struggles in Detroit with 12 different offensive linemen and multiple combinations, and we’ve seen how that has gone. With lesser talent in Minnesota and a second-year quarterback who missed his entire rookie season, it’s not going to end well.
PFF has their blocking in the upper half surprisingly (13th pass blocking, 12th run blocking), but I have to disagree with what I’ve seen on the field. With the offensive line struggling, every quarterback under center has failed in connecting with the star players Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Hockenson. The running game is seeing its backup in Mason, outperforming the starter, and even then, Mason’s stats aren’t eye-popping. You live and die by how your offensive line does, and with the Vikings’ big men struggling, it has a ripple effect into other positions and the offense as a whole.
Note: Maybe the special teams coach is safe? I think he is and should be.
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: TitansSent: 3.97Received: 4.106, 5.144…Pick 15. Jeremiyah Love RB Notre Dame 6’0” 214Pick 46. Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6’0” 205Pick 80. Domonique Orange DL Iowa State 6’4” 325Pick 106. Keionte Scott CB Miami (FL) 6’0” 194Pick 144. Drew Allar QB Penn State 6’5” 235Pick 161. Clev Lubin EDGE Louisville 6’3” 255Pick 198. Ted Hurst WR Georgia State 6’2” 194Pick 231. Pat Coogan IOL Indiana 6’5” 311Pick 241. Red Murdock LB Buffalo 6’3” 235
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