Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy faced another tough outing in Week 12 at Lambeau Field. He went 12-for-19 for 87 yards, threw two interceptions, and was sacked five times as the Vikings fell 23-6 to the Green Bay Packers on November 23.
Over the last few weeks, since returning from injury, McCarthy has been under the spotlight from the national NFL media. Moreover, after his performance against the Packers, it’s only gone up since then.
McCarthy is currently in concussion protocol. Regardless of whether he clears it in time for Week 13, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio believes the Vikings would be better off putting someone else at center, which would be Max Brosmer, based on the traits he’s seeing from McCarthy during these struggles.
“[McCarthy] needs to take a step back,” Florio said on the November 25 edition of “Pro Football Talk Live.” “He’s trying too hard; I feel like he’s thinking too much, and he’s gotten himself into this cycle that he can’t break out of.
“I think it’s useful for him at this point to get a break from playing because it just feels like you can just feel that whole demeanor and the body language and the look on the face. I feel like everything about J.J. McCarthy is [that] he wants to go out there, and on the very next play he wants to make the play that wins the Super Bowl.”
Jon Gruden Gets Honest With Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
Amid mounting criticism of McCarthy, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden shared his thoughts on the challenges the former Michigan standout has encountered in recent weeks.
“This is going to be a tough process,“ Gruden said on the November 24 edition of “Wake Up Barstool.” “It always is with a young quarterback. I remember going through this with Brett Favre in Green Bay in 1992. There were peaks and valleys. The big thing with J.J. is [that] he has to play the position better, focusing on the little things. They had eight false starts in one game. Communication at the line of scrimmage has to improve. He needs to avoid interceptions and negative plays.
“I learned from Bill Walsh long ago that we will not save a bad idea at any position. He has to show improvement. Ball security must be better, his mechanics at the line of scrimmage have to improve, and they need to start putting points on the board while competing.”
J.J. McCarthy Gets Encouraging Message From NFL Analyst
Even so, FOX Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen acknowledged Gruden’s remarks, agreeing that criticism of the Vikings quarterback is warranted, though he stopped short of labeling McCarthy a bust.
“Of course, there’s going to be a learning curve, struggles, and ups and downs, “ Olsen said during the same segment on “Wake Up Barstool. “ “He has a great coach in Kevin O’Connell, who seems to have brought out the best in nearly every quarterback he’s worked with in Minnesota. So I don’t think we should just cast him aside and say it’s over, that we have to move on to somebody else.
“On the other hand, this is a team that won 14 games last year. This is an offense with Jordan Addison, Justin Jefferson, and an offensive line that has been banged up, plus an offensive play caller. There are a lot of pieces here, so maybe you’re not a 14-win offense like last year, but certainly better than what we’ve seen. I think the criticism is warranted.”
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