J.J. McCarthy had an erratic start for the Minnesota Vikings, completing 5 of 10 passes for 81 yards in a 13-3 exhibition loss to Baltimore on Saturday.
McCarthy played four series with the second-team offense before yielding to 11-year veteran Carson Wentz, leaving the picture unclear about who will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Kyler Murray.
“We want to keep giving those guys opportunities,” said coach Kevin O'Connell, who'd planned to give McCarthy a little more playing time but decided to pull him after a couple of hard hits left him walking gingerly off the field.
O'Connell said they definitely wanted McCarthy to get back in the game, but getting banged up forced them to scrap those plans.
"Maybe one more drive would have been great to get him, based upon where he was at snap count wise, but, once he was a little hobbled there," O'Connell said. "I'm sure I'll have an update for you, but he seemed to be fine. Carson, the plan was also to make sure we got Carson in there with a group that we thought we could move the football with."
Getting dinged is one thing. Missing wide-open receivers is another thing says WCCO sports host Henry Lake, who told Vineeta Sawkwar on the WCCO Morning News that any offseason improvement fans were hoping to see from McCarthy has yet to materialize.
"Why is everything a fastball? It was funny because I was watching the game and on the broadcast the announcer says something about the ball going through the hands of Myles Price," Lake said Monday. "It goes through anybody's hands if it's thrown a gazillion miles an hour. What are you talking about? It wasn't just the speed. It was like it's off target. So I don't know. There's a lot of questions about J.J."
The 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, who missed his rookie year while recovering from knee surgery and was limited by 10 starts last season because of multiple injuries, misfired to open receivers multiple times. After deftly moving up in the pocket for a 50-yard completion to Tai Felton midway through the first quarter, McCarthy threw too hard into the end zone twice for incompletions — resulting in a turnover on downs.
Myles Price was wide open in the front corner on fourth-and-1, but McCarthy sailed the ball over the 5-foot-9 receiver.
“Just throws I’ve got to make. We called great plays, but at the end of the day I know I can make those throws,” McCarthy said. “It’s great to have that experience logged in and that data logged in to be able to make that throw next time.”
Max Brosmer played the entire second half at quarterback for the Vikings, going 11 for 17 for 98 yards. He was intercepted by rookie free safety Silas Walters at the Baltimore 18 as the last two possessions for the Vikings ended with turnovers. Rookie outside linebacker Ethan Burke forced a fumble with his tackle of Jeshaun Jones after an 11-yard reception had given Minnesota a first down near midfield.
"You go to games and whether the clock's running, whether you're counting snaps and a lot of it ties in with maybe some plans for some other guys that are in that huddle as well," says O'Connell. "You just kind of go through it and you're constantly gauging our ability to provide those guys with the best possible chance to go in there. And if they do their job, good things will happen and while also knowing you want to give them a fair chance too, as you go through the day. So it's always a moving target."
Up next
Minnesota plays at Denver Friday night.
The young QB missed several throws to open receivers and left the game after getting banged up
The young QB missed several throws to open receivers and left the game after getting banged up
