Tag: J.J. McCarthy

Vikings rookie QB wows in NFL debut

J.J. McCarthy had the best pro debut of any rookie quarterback.

It didn’t take long for Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to impress in his preseason debut. The Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders 24-23 on Saturday and McCarthy dazzled with a huge performance.

For the game, McCarthy went 11-for-16 passing in limited action. He finished with 188 passing yards and two touchdowns to one interception. McCarthy also chipped in 18 more yards on the ground.

You can see McCarthy’s best pass of the game in the tweet below as he threw an absolute dime to wide receiver Trent Shefield for a 33-yard touchdown pass. McCarthy also had a 45-yard touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson.

McCarthy is hoping to replace Kirk Cousins and if his first game is any indication, he is ready to go.

The Vikings selected McCarthy out of the University of Michigan with the No. 10 overall pick after McCarthy led the Wolverines to a CFB National Championship.

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Vikings QB Sam Darnold looked the part despite being overshadowed

The talk coming out of the Minnesota Vikings game against the Las Vegas Raiders will be about J.J. McCarthy, but don’t discount Sam Darnold.

The talk coming out of the Minnesota Vikings game against the Las Vegas Raiders will be about J.J. McCarthy, but don’t discount Sam Darnold. The veteran quarterback knows he is the bridge quarterback to the franchise’s future in McCarthy.

Darnold played the first quarter for the team, leading them on several successful drives. The team didn’t make it into the endzone, but he could move the ball well while also showing his legs to extend plays or even make them.

He finished by completing four of his eight pass attempts for 59 yards. As we mentioned, he was pushing the ball downfield, with Jalen Nailor and Jordan Addison being the targets.

Fans will call for McCarthy after his performance, but there were rookie mistakes that need fixing, and that’s okay. Time will handle all of that, but for now, through one game, all hope is not lost with Darnold under center.

WATCH: J.J. McCarthy connects deep downfield for a touchdown

J.J. McCarthy had some flashes of brilliance in the first half against the Raiders, but he has found his groove in the second half.Ā 

J.J. McCarthy had some flashes of brilliance in the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he has found his groove in the second half.

McCarthy showed that he could push the ball downfield and pass to the left side of it by unleashing an arching pass to Trishton Jackson. What made the play even better? Having Justin Jefferson on the call.

The veteran wide receiver was on the call for the entire third quarter, and that was when the pass made its way to the endzone.

The play went for 46 yards and was both McCarthy and Jackson’s first touchdowns in their NFL career. McCarthy would connect on the next drive for his second one and has shown that he can adjust the learning curve the NFL is presenting to him.

Jefferson, of course, had to boast shortly after the score on the broadcast that the Vikings have “the best wide receiver room in the NFL.”

WATCH: The J.J. McCarthy and Jalen Nailor connection grows

J.J. McCarthy is working on a lot during his first training camp with the Vikings, including relationships with receivers on the team.

Rookie J.J. McCarthy is working on a lot during his first training camp with the Vikings, including building relationships with receivers on the team. One receiver seems to be building a stronger connection than most, and it is Jalen Nailor.

It’s not often that we see a Michigan Wolverine getting along with a Michigan State Spartan, but I suppose some places freeze after all.

All of camp the combination of McCarthy and Nailor has been consistent, especially in the redzone. Both men are in position battles with McCarthy fighting for the starting job at quarterback and Nailor for the WR3 role within the offense.

Unlike their redzone work, Thursday, the Vikings social media team shared a clip of McCarthy pushing the ball downfield to Nailor for a big pickup. These two could very well help each other earn the roles they want on the team and then make the offense better for everyone.

Albert Breer sees Vikings HC being ‘disciplined’ regarding J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings want to win now, but not at the expense of their rookie quarterback handling too much too soon.

The Minnesota Vikings want to win now, but not at the expense of their rookie quarterback, who could be handling too much too soon. J.J. McCarthy is the future of the Vikings franchise, so patience is the virtue they will have to follow.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated sees the team as being “disciplined” in their approach. During his visit to Vikings camp, Breer made some notes published this week, and the handling of McCarthy was a major talking point.

“I believe Oā€™Connell is going to be very disciplined about actually putting the rookie out thereā€”this wonā€™t be one of those situations where the team has a couple tough weeks, and they put him out there to try and create a spark.”

Breer also points out that the Vikings and McCarthy are still working on some foundational trait tweaks, such as his footwork and release. Those who take time to correct while playing in a live game help, but they won’t do it at his expense in the regular season.

This is why it makes sense that Kevin O’Connell said that despite Sam Darnold being the starter against the Raiders, McCarthy will see a lot of playing time.

No better time to make mistakes than in games that don’t matter.

2024 Rookie preview: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings

2024 Rookie preview: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings and how soon he can make an impact for the team

After the departure of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to Atlanta, the Minnesota Vikings were forced to pivot their draft strategy a bit and find a solution for the future of their quarterback position. While they didn’t trade up for one of the top-end guys, they did ultimately land on a proven winner in former Michigan signal caller J.J. McCarthy.

It’s unlikely that McCarthy will start from the jump, given the presence of talented veteran Sam Darnold. However, given Darnold’s track record, McCarthy is bound to find some playing time later on in the season.

McCarthy was a fast riser in the draft, and teams had faith in his ability to lead and make plays outside of the play design. if he can thrive in this Kevin O’Connell offensive system, he has plenty of weapons to make the most of it. McCarthy still needs to develop some of the finer aspects of playing the position, and could face some early bumps in the road despite his surrounding talent, but should still be able to push Darnold should he struggle at the midway point of the season.

Stat projection: 2,200 yards, 14 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

J.J. McCarthy impressing people at Vikings training camp with arm talent

So far in camp, the clips we have seen of J.J. McCarthy are seemingly getting backed up by those are watching in person.

Training camp is always going to have moments that get picked up on social media and run with. Rookies, especially, can get carried away as teams and media look to back up their draft claims.

So far in camp, the clips we have seen of J.J. McCarthy are seemingly getting backed up by those are watching in person.

Fans are one thing to impress, but when national media makes a stop at camp, they are harder to get over. Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame saw enough from the former Michigan quarterback to give him his flowers.

During a two-minute drill to end the practice for the day, McCarthy was paired with the second-team offense and made some magic happen.

“. . .with bad weather approaching, but it was consistent with McCarthyā€™s day. He was largely on-time and accurate, and showed more than enough arm strength.”

Those are the types of plays that McCarthy can show to build on and get more strung together he could be starting against the Giants in Week 1. Even if he doesn’t, it seems McCarthy is making the leash that Sam Darnold is on as the starter even shorter.

 

Is Kevin O’Connell leaning towards starting J.J. McCarthy?

For the Vikings, they have been adamant that they want to slow in starting rookie J.J. McCarthy, but things may be starting to change.Ā 

Starting a rookie quarterback can always be a tough ask of a team. More often than not, they are going to a team that played poorly enough to be in a position to draft them. This can cause teams to be patient in playing them, but sometimes, their hands can be forced.

The Minnesota Vikings have been adamant that they want to slow in starting rookie J.J. McCarthy, but things may be starting to change.

Speaking with KFAN radio host Dan Barrerio at training camp this week, coach Kevin O’Connell discussed the quarterback situation and kept things simple.

“I do believe in playing the player that gives you the best chance to win.”

This statement came on the tail end of a discussion about how much McCarthy has impressed the coaching staff so far in camp. If the rookie can keep impressing, will it make the decision on who to start that much more difficult?

Time will tell, but so far, so good for the rookie and National Championship quarterback.

Vikings legend meets with J.J. McCarthy after training camp

The Minnesota Vikings are a franchise with storybook history filled with special players, on Tuesday one of them met J.J. McCarthy.

The Minnesota Vikings are a franchise with a storybook history filled with special players. On Tuesday, one of them met J.J. McCarthy. The rookie quarterback has been doing well during the first week of training camp, and a new high point was reached.

Vikings legend Tommy Kramer made his way onto the field after practice and, in a post on social media, shared the conversation he had with the rookie quarterback.

Kramer is considered one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history. Having played for the team from 1977 to 1989, the Vikings are hoping they can get that same sustained success out of McCarthy during his tenure with the team.

J.J. McCarthy has had a good start to camp and has shown that the arm strength and footwork are becoming more efficient. Clips from camp are all over social media, and this may prove to be closer competition between him and Sam Darnold than previously thought.

As for Tommy Kramer, he has seemingly made it clear who he favors in the competition.

WATCH: J.J. McCarthy hits a deep bomb against the first-team defense

Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy hit receiver Trishton Jackson for a 50-yard bomb against the first-team defense in training camp.

Two of the biggest storylines for the Minnesota Vikings heading into training camp were the development of their first-round quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, and their look for someone to step up as the third wide receiver in the offense.

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are firmly planted as the top two options, but there’s a big need for someone to step up in that supplementary role — especially in the wake of T.J. Hockenson’s knee injury and the likelihood he’ll be unavailable to start the season.

By the looks of things coming out of the first week of camp, both of those storylines may have fairly positive starts. McCarthy has been showing good progress as a rookie, and both Jalen Nailor and Trishton Jackson have stepped up and made some good plays to start camp off on the right foot.

Today, we got the best of both worlds, as McCarthy hit Jackson for a 50-yard-bomb against the first team defense — a defense that has reportedly “chosen violence” early on and has been giving both McCarthy and presumed starter Sam Darnold fits in the early portions of camp.

We see reports like this come out every year, so it’s important to take these things with a grain of salt. But it’s encouraging to see McCarthy and Jackson hooking up for plays like this against the starting defense, given the question marks surrounding both situations coming into the 2024 season.