How J.j. Mccarthy Fared In First Start Back From Injury With Vikings

The Vikings mightiness person themselves a franchise backmost aft all.

Leading up to Minnesota’s Week 9 conflict against nan Lions, location were plentifulness of questions astir J.J. McCarthy’s semipermanent outlook arsenic nan Vikings’ starting quarterback. Since being selected No. 10 successful nan 2024 draft, McCarthy had only started 2 of 24 imaginable games owed to injuries. And erstwhile he was connected nan field, 7 of nan 8 quarters were reliable to watch—the 1 objection being nan 4th fourth of nan Vikings’ 27–24 comeback triumph complete nan Bears.

With nan waste and acquisition deadline looming Tuesday and nan Vikings reportedly successful nan marketplace for a quarterback, would nan squad request to panic and find a imaginable starter aliases simply a much knowledgeable backup?

McCarthy appeared to reply those questions Sunday successful nan Vikings’ upset 27–24 triumph complete nan Lions astatine Ford Field. In his 3rd profession start, McCarthy threw for 143 yards pinch 2 touchdowns and 1 interception connected 14-of-25 passing—good for an 82.6 passer rating.

McCarthy put together a near-perfect first quarter. He marched nan Vikings down nan section for 2 touchdown drives, completing 5-of-7 passes for 68 yards—and 1 of those incompletions was a cleanable would-be-touchdown walk dropped by Jordan Addison. The touchdowns that did count, however, were a cleanable onslaught to Justin Jefferson and a propulsion crossed his assemblage to tight extremity T.J. Hockenson.

In nan 2nd half, nan Vikings punted connected their first 2 possessions earlier McCarthy led nan squad connected a five-play, 35-yard scoring thrust capped disconnected by nan quarterback’s nine-yard scramble for a score.

That level of mobility from nan backmost position is thing that was missing successful coach Kevin O’Connell’s discourtesy backmost successful nan Kirk Cousins days arsenic good arsenic this twelvemonth erstwhile Carson Wentz was filling successful for McCarthy.

McCarthy saved his champion propulsion of nan time for last. Facing a third-and-5 from Minnesota’s 28–yard statement pinch 1:41 to go, nan Vikings needed a first down to extremity nan game. If not, nan Lions would get nan shot backmost and person a chance to necktie aliases return nan lead.

McCarthy dropped backmost and fired a fastball down nan sideline to Nailor, who caught it for a 16-yard gain. Ball game.

McCarthy’s time wasn’t each pretty. The Vikings’ discourtesy looked discombobulated astatine nan statement of scrimmage astatine times, particularly erstwhile McCarthy checked into an audible. There was a three-yard nonaccomplishment successful nan first half erstwhile McCarthy changed nan play astatine nan statement of scrimmage and rolled nan incorrect measurement connected what appeared to beryllium a designed handoff for Aaron Jones—and it happened again precocious successful nan 4th fourth connected a handoff that was expected to spell to Jordan Mason. McCarthy besides threw a prime precocious successful nan 2nd 4th connected a walk good down Jalen Nailor.

The Vikings’ triumph was a well-balanced effort. The defense sacked Jared Goff 5 times, and nan typical teams saw a mates of awesome returns from Myles Price and a blocked section extremity successful nan 4th quarter.

McCarthy’s perfomance, however, was a needed activity of caller aerial for nan Vikings, who looked downright incompetent nan past fewer weeks pinch Wentz limping astir successful nan pocket. At 4–4, nan Vikings are correct backmost successful nan heavy of nan NFC playoff race. And they’ve sewage a backmost to get them there.

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