The Minnesota Vikings are facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, and whether their quarterback will be Carson Wentz or J.J. McCarthy remains a source of intrigue as they prepare for their first practice on Wednesday.
If it is Wentz, the stakes could be immeasurably high. Moreover, he knows exactly what his head coach, Kevin O’Connell, expects him to improve upon.
O’Connell made that abundantly clear when discussing Wentz and the Vikings’ QB quandary.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell to Carson Wentz: Protect Yourself
GettyCarson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Wentz, 32, is “sore” after the Vikings’ win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. He has completed 69% of his passes for 759 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, leading the Vikings to a 2-1 record in McCarthy’s stead. He has also taken 12 sacks and 6 QB hits.
Wentz’s sack rate is the fourth-highest in the NFL entering Week 7, per Pro Football Reference.
He has been sacked at least three times in each of his three starts amid injury issues along the Vikings’ offensive line, but O’Connell believes Wentz can help himself in that regard.
“He’s gotten to a good place where he can participate as well and take part in the preparation. And the biggest thing for him is it’s a non-throwing shoulder. So, it’s a matter of working through that soreness as it comes to him,” O’Connell told reporters during his media availablity on October 13.
“Carson’s done a really good job of, without a bunch of time on task in the offense, understanding that completion mindset. And I think, even some of the times where he’s maybe tried to hold on to the ball or create a play, that’s led to maybe taking some more hits than he needs to.”
“You’re playing against a really good front this week. One of the best interiors, probably, in the whole NFL,” O’Connell said. “The integrity of the interior of the pocket’s going to be critical. But at the same time, playing in rhythm and finding that completion in the quickest, most efficient way possible will hold true.”
O’Connell was speaking about Wentz and McCarthy, but his message could fit the former most.
Kevin O’Connell Not Ready to Name Vikings’ QB1 vs Eagles
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on against the Houston Texans.
O’Connell announced that McCarthy would return to practice for the Vikings in some capacity this week. He also suggested that preparing the team for the Eagles would take precedence over all else when pressed on if the second-year QB could play, which bodes well for Wentz.
“We’ve got to prepare to try to win a game on Sunday, and Carson as well, working with his left shoulder. He’ll practice as well. But we really want to get our team ready to go,” O’Connell said.
“In the process of doing that, J.J.has his plan of attack that we want to try to make sure we maximize every single day and prepare all of our guys to be ready to go and make the best decision for our team, and then also, individually for each one of those guys as we get closer to it. But not ready to say yet exactly where he’ll be at towards the end of the week. Want to see how this week plays out first.”
Another start would present a veritable full-circle opportunity for Wentz.
The Eagles selected Wentz No. 2 overall in the 2016 draft, and he got out to an MVP-caliber start to his second season in 2017 when a devastating knee injury ended his season early and altered his career trajectory as Philly won its first Super Bowl with Nick Foles under center.
Wentz has spoken about wishing he could switch places with Foles before. While the stakes are considerably lower in this game, Wentz has a similar opportunity with the Vikings.
J.J. McCarthy Learning From Carson Wentz
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 and Carson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings look on before a game against the Chicago Bears.
Wentz is a fitting mentor, or at least example, for McCarthy, as a former first-round pick who is dealing with injuries early on in his career.
“I think one of the things he’s took away from these two or three weeks of watching Carson play was just the power of completions that maybe don’t necessarily always go to the first or second progression,” O’Connell said.
“It’s being surgical with your accuracy when No. 1 is open. And you do that by getting to that foundation and then playing with great balance and rhythm from that point. And it’s it’s something that seems like, ‘Hey, that seems like just Quarterback Play 101.’ But I watched a lot of football yesterday, and didn’t see it as much as you would think you should see it. And that’s just the nature of playing a really difficult position with a lot of variables.”
O’Connell noted that, while coaches are “trying to give the best plays we possibly can,” keeping the offense “efficient” oftentimes “ends up being the quarterback’s job a lot of the time, when it’s not always fair based upon how things are around them or the adversity around them from a standpoint of some of the injuries that have hit us.
“That’s just part of why the position is so difficult.”
Regardless of whether McCarthy or Wentz is under center for the Vikings, they and the rest of the group must be better at protecting the football, with O’Connell calling turnovers out, too.
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