The Minnesota Vikings secured a 34-26 win over the Dallas Cowboys on December 14 at AT&T Stadium, delivering another performance that should continue to build confidence in J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy was involved in three touchdowns, throwing for two and adding another on the ground. The second-year quarterback completed fifteen of twenty-four passes for two hundred fifty yards. The only setback came on the opening snap, when defensive tackle Quinnen Williams intercepted a tipped pass.
Both touchdown throws went to Jalen Nailor, and McCarthy later contributed a score with his legs. On fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, he rolled out on a bootleg and slipped into the end zone untouched, capping off a strong showing.
Nonetheless, Vikings legend Cris Carter says the jury is still out on McCarthy, despite his performances against the Washington Commanders and Cowboys in back-to-back weeks.
“We have lowered our standards so much to accommodate him, but it’s about winning,” Carter said on the December 15 edition of “Up & Adams.” “It’s about growing. We knew that we had a young quarterback, and we knew that he didn’t get a red shirt here last year. That year really hurt him. This is what we’re stuck with. When Carson Wentz gets hurt, we can’t go anywhere. We can’t go to the backup. We tried that, saw what happened out in Seattle.
“So we’re stuck with him. Hope he can stay healthy because these reps that he’s getting, especially against a competition like Dallas on Sunday night, they’re invaluable for his overall growth. I still believe he can be the franchise quarterback, but let me tell you something, right now, today, we don’t know.”
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Gets More Advice From Cris Carter
Moreover, Carter believes that if McCarthy wants to be successful in the NFL, he will need to leave behind the “Nine“ persona that shows up on the field.
“That’s not what [Kevin O’Connell] wants from his quarterback,“ Carter added. “That alternate personality, No. 9, all that stuff. No one’s ever wanted the NFL doing this. To me, he acts like a kid. He’s played like a kid. We’re stuck with the kid until next year.”
Justin Jefferson Gets Honest About J.J. McCarthy
Following the game, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson shared his perspective on what he has observed from McCarthy over the past two outings, as the rookie quarterback works to finish the season with momentum.
“Coming off of last week’s game, a 31-0 victory, that’s something to have confidence in and really feed off of,“ Jefferson told reporters. “Coming into this week, we had a similar game plan as last week, keeping everything pretty simple and letting [McCarthy] go out there and play freely. It just comes down to executing the plays.
“I feel like all 11 guys went out there with the mindset to win this game and do whatever we need to do to score points and be ahead when the clock hits zero. I’m just proud of him, leading this team and this offense. Of course, we still have work to do, need to make improvements, and have a game next week, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
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