The quarterback position has been the main topic of discussion surrounding the Minnesota Vikings. It’s one of the reasons the Vikings won’t be in the playoffs: J.J. McCarthy’s up-and-down performance and the lack of a capable backup behind him. Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury, and rookie Max Brosmer hasn’t shown much.
On Christmas Day, the Vikings’ defense put on a show, frustrating the Detroit Lions‘ offense, leading to a 23-10 win at U.S. Bank Stadium. Nonetheless, there wasn’t much play from Max Brosmer, who went 9-of-16 for 51 passing yards and zero turnovers.
While the Vikings did come away with their fourth straight win, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson wants to see them find a solution at the position. Johnson believes it’s the only issue holding the team back from being a contender in the NFC, given that Minnesota won 14 games with Sam Darnold last season.
“The funny thing about it, when you think about it, they got the offense,” Johnson said on a December 26 clip from the latest edition of “Nightcap.” “They just missing one piece; they [are] missing the centerpiece. They [are] missing the most important piece; they [are] missing the one that makes the most money for a goddamn reason, the quarterback.”
“That’s that’s that’s all, that’s all, that’s all they’re missing. That’s why you understand quarterbacks don’t come around that often. They are very far. They’re very, very, extremely hard to find.”
Chad Johnson Believes the Vikings Made a Mistake
Moreover, Johnson still questions the Vikings’ decision to let Darnold walk and go with McCarthy, seeing that their former quarterback’s play has the Seattle Seahawks reach the playoffs this season.
“For those that have been watching the game of football for a very long time, you understand by watching and understanding, maybe your team might not have a quarterback and haven’t had one for years,“ Johnson added. “You understand how hard they are to come by.
“So when you get one, and you get a small sample size of what he can do, which Sam Donald showed you last year, you don’t let them walk out the door just because you drafted somebody in with the 10th pick in the first round.”
Vikings Appear to Be Backing J.J. McCarthy
While Johnson is pining for the Vikings to find a more proven quarterback who can take advantage of their talent on offense, the Minnesota front office seems content to stick by McCarthy. Recently, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah praised the second-year quarterback’s growth in his first season as the starter.
“There’s just been growth moments,“ Adofo-Mensah said during the December 23 edition of “X’s and O’s with Kevin O’Connell.“ “I try and make sure that my dialogue with him is incredibly positive because, if you think about this world, you got the external world who’s always going to be negative, and then you’ve got coaching, who are going to be positive, but they’re also going to coach them.
“I try and always make sure I’m highlighting, ‘Hey man, this is a great thing that I’m seeing you’re doing.‘ Things like playing really up in the pocket. A lot of young quarterbacks, when they get pressure in their face, they’re trying to bail out the back. He’s very good about getting up in the pocket either to make scrambles or make good decisions.”
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