In Week 14, Minnesota Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy had an encouraging performance in the 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders on December 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Coming off a concussion, McCarthy completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. The second-year quarterback also avoided any interceptions, keeping the offense turnover-free.
While these aren’t eye-popping numbers, it’s a positive step for McCarthy, and now he needs to build on it in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner shared his thoughts on what he wants to see from the young signal caller in these last four games to show that he can be the No. 1 guy for next season.
“I think you want to continue to see steady growth,” Warner said on the latest “One on One” published on December 10. “The biggest thing is that you want to try to use these last four games to build into next year. And, you know, that doesn’t mean you’re giving up on this year and you’re not saying, ‘Hey, let’s try to win them all and see if we can get in the playoffs.’
“But the idea is simply, let’s keep getting better. Let’s keep building. Let’s go into the offseason with everybody feeling really good about where we’re at, or in this specific case, let’s get everybody feeling really good about the quarterback that’s in our room and what he can be for us...
“We want him going into the offseason feeling really good that we’re putting him in a position to play his best football and to help us win. And so that, to me, is kind of the underlying thing that you’re trying to accomplish in these last four games: play good football, be competitive.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Looks to Continue Success
After the win over the Commanders, head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke about what allowed his quarterback to succeed amid recent struggles. Moreover, O’Connell could replicate this formula as Minnesota attempts to win back-to-back games.
“I think it was a combination of J.J.’s execution [and] staying efficient,” O’Connell said postgame. “We had some different looks early on in the game to try to change up some things we’ve done, either personnel-wise or schématically, and just try to get off to a fast start and then get a little momentum in the game, allow our defense to play with the lead, and eventually [and] force some turnovers.
“Then try to see if we can stack on that by just staying the course and protecting the football and playing smart. I do think the situational football is probably not going to be talked about but when you run the football efficiently, that’s great.”
J.J. McCarthy Needs to Finish Vikings Season Strong
Finishing the season strong would be a big boost for McCarthy, especially with speculation that Minnesota might look for a quarterback to challenge their former first-round pick for the starting role. Still, McCarthy could sway that thinking. “First Things First“ co-host Chris Broussard believes these final games are McCarthy’s chance to prove he can be the franchise quarterback.
“J.J., the rest of this season, you have got to prove that you are the man, “ Broussard said on the December 4 edition of “First Things First,”. “That’s all it’s about. It’s similar to Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland. This season is done as far as the playoffs. It’s about you showing Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings that you are their future franchise quarterback.
“Otherwise, is it off the board that Daniel Jones will be a free agent? Is it off the board that they make a lucrative offer to Daniel Jones? I don’t think it’s off the board.
“If J.J. struggles the rest of the season, they may go out—whether it’s Daniel Jones or Mac Jones—and try to make a trade for him or something like that. You could be in Zach Wilson territory if you don’t produce the rest of this season. J.J., I’m pulling for you. I am actually pulling for you.”
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