Evaluating J.J. McCarthy is Minnesota Vikings’ biggest priority | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

WHICH IS THE ATTITUDE I SHOULD HAVE HAD YESTERDAY WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PICK GAMES. HERE’S KEVIN OCONELL. THE VIKINGS COACH ON THE ROUGH NIGHT THAT HIS TEAM HAD FROM THE GET-GO. WASN’T OUR NIGHT IN ANY CAPACITY. ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM FROM THE INTERCEPTION BEING OVERTURNED EARLY ON TO, UH, POTENTIALLY HAVING 1 OF YOUR BIGGEST PLAYS OF THE NIGHT, TURN INTO THEM HAVING THE BALL AT MIDFIELD. UM, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A, IT WAS AN AVALANCHE OF OF MOMENTUM FOR THEM THAT WE TRIED TO OVERCOME. I LIKE THE FIGHT TO START THE SECOND HALF FROM THE TURNOVER METELLUS FORCES ON THE PICK TO PUTTING THAT BALL ON THE END ZONE THERE. WE JUST, YOU KNOW, IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM. WE’RE GOOD ENOUGH TONIGHT TO WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME AS COACHES OR PLAYERS. ALSO SAID, HE DID NOT HAVE HIS TEAM PREPARED TO PLAY. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, INJURY IS NOT AN EXCUSE AND HE COMMITTED THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GO BASICALLY BACK TO THE LAB BACK TO THE PRACTICE FIELD. GET AT DETROIT, AND THE DIFFERENCE IS AS THEY GET BACK TOGETHER FOR THAT FINAL GAME GAME, NUMBER 272 OF THE FOR THE IT WAS A CLUNKER THE LIONS ARE STILL AS GOOD AS THEY WERE THE VIKINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY WERE. AND THE ISSUE IS THE PLAIN AND SIMPLE. THEY MADE A CALCULATION. THEY MADE A DECISION. AND NOW, THE QUESTION FOR ME, IS WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO PULL THE PLUG ON THE DECISION? IF THE PLUG NEEDS TO BE PULLED? WE ARE AT THE MOMENT. AND I WROTE THIS LAST NIGHT BEFORE I WENT TO BED. IT JUST MADE ME FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER. WE’RE AT THE MOMENT WHERE IT’S TIME FOR THE VIKINGS TO PUT JJ MCCARTHY OUT THERE. THERE HAS BEEN A SENSE THAT I DON’T REALLY THINK IT’S A SOFT BENCHING. THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WENTZ. WAS HOLDING DOWN THE FORT. HE WON A COUPLE OF GAMES. AND JJ MCCARTHY. THERE’S NO REASON TO RUSH HIM BACK FROM THE HIGH ANKLE SPRING. NO REASON TO THE WAS TOLD AFTER THEY BEAT THE IN THE THE IN MCCARTHY INJURY IS A 4 TO 6 WEEK INJURY. THEIR NEXT GAME AFTER THE BUY WOULD BE WEEK 7 AGAINST THE EAGLES, 7 MINUS 2 AND THIS IS 1 OF THE FEW MATHEMATICAL EXERCISES. I’M STILL CAPABLE OF PERFORMING IS 5, IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDOW. SO OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE BEAT THE BROWNS I’M NOT SAYING WE, AS I’M SAYING, THIS IS THE MONOLOGUE THAT THE VIKINGS WOULD HAVE. WE BEAT THE BROWNS, CARSON WENTZ HAS BEEN. OKAY, WE GET 2 WEEKS TO GET READY FOR THE EAGLES. HE’S PROBABLY GOT A LITTLE EAGLES BECAUSE THEY DRAFTED HIM. HE’S PLAYED THEM ONCE. NEVER BEATEN THEM. LET’S LET’S LET IT FLY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. AND, THEY DID. THE ARGUMENT IF THEY HAD A FUNCTION IN QUARTERBACK ON SUNDAY, THEY WOULD HAVE BEATEN THE EAGLES, AND THEN YOU GOT A QUICK TURNAROUND FOR THURSDAY NIGHT, BOTH GUYS ARE STILL NOT 100%. NOW, IT’S TIME. NOW IT’S TIME AND HEY, JJ MCCARTHY HAS BEEN HEALTHY ENOUGH TO BE THE NUMBER 3 QUARTERBACK, THE HEALTHY ENOUGH TO PLAY. SO NOW YOU GOT TO GET THEM READY TO PLAY MICHAEL AND YOU GOT TO SEE WHAT HE HAS. IT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT HE HAS THIS SEASON IS TEETERING ON THE BRINK, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL EVERY YEAR. THIS ISN’T A SUPER BOWL TEAM. I KNOW WE’VE SEEN SOME DRAMATIC TURNAROUNDS IN THE PAST. THIS IS NOT A SUPER BOWL. TEAM, THE SOONER, THEY ADMIT IT. AND THE SOONER, THEY TREAT THE REST OF THIS SEASON AS PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR. AND LET’S SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN JJ MCCARTHY. WELL, WHAT IF HE GETS INJURED AGAIN, THAT MEANS THAT HE’S NOT THE GUY. SEE? I’M, THEY SAY INJURY IS AN EXCUSE FOR PERFORMANCE OF A TEAM INJURY. ALSO ISN’T AN EXCUSE FOR PERFORMANCE OF A QUARTERBACK BECAUSE FRANCHISE QUARTERBACKS ARE AVAILABLE TO PLAY EVERY WEEK. FRANCHISE, QUARTERBACKS DON’T GET LOST FOR THE SEASON BY A PRESEASON, MENISCUS, TEAR FRANCHISE, QUARTERBACKS DON’T SUFFER, A HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN IN WEEK 2. THEY KNOW HOW TO AVOID THAT, THEY KNOW HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, THEY KNOW HOW TO FUNCTION. SO IF JJ MCCARTHY, CAN’T STAY HEALTHY, THEN HE’S NOT A FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK, MOVE ON. IT’S OVER. IT’S DONE. AND IF HE CAN’T PLAY AT A AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL MOVE ON. IT’S OVER, IT’S DONE. AND IF THEY TRY TO DOUBLE DOWN TO JUSTIFY THEIR MISTAKE, THEY’RE ONLY GOING NEXT TEST FOR THE VIKINGS. WILL THEY ADD, WILL THEY GATHER ENOUGH EVIDENCE? TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY MADE A MISTAKE. WILL THEY ADMIT THE MISTAKE? IF IT WAS A MISTAKE OR WILL THEY DOUBLE DOWN AND MAKE IT WORSE NEXT YEAR? MIKE, I THINK THIS IS SO EASY. THIS IS AN EASY CALL FOR THE VIKINGS AND KEVIN OKANO, NOT MLE, THIS IS AN EASY CALL FOR HIM, EVEN MITCH MCCONNELL COULD MAKE THIS DECISION. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. IT THAT THIS IS WHERE THE THE, THE, THE DUELING SIDES OF THE FAMILY CAN AGREE. THEY CAN BREAK BREAD OVER THIS. THEY BOTH AGREE THAT THE CALL TO MAKE IS TO GIVE THE JOB TO JJ MCCARTHY AND JUST LET HIM GO. I, I THOUGHT THIS BEFORE, AND, AND IT TURNS OUT I’M PROBABLY WRONG. YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE WRONG ON SOMETHING. I WAS PROBABLY WRONG ABOUT THIS AM UH, BEFORE THE 2024 2024 DRAFT AND WE KEEP HEARING. OH, IT COULD BE 5 6 7, QUARTERBACKS. OH, YOU KNOW, SO MANY QUARTERBACKS COULD GO EARLY IN THIS DRAFT AND THEY’RE, THEY’RE ALL GOOD PROSPECTS. AND I WAS THINKING, THERE’S NO WAY IF FIRST ROUND 1 OF AND I THINK I’M WRONG BECAUSE THE ONLY GUY WHERE WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT UH, THAT IS JJ MCCARTHY AND JJ MCCARTHY IS NOT REALLY FAIR TO SAY, HE CAN’T DO IT, OR HE CAN DO IT, BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T SEEN ENOUGH FROM HIM. BUT THE OTHER GUYS, YOU KNOW, 1 123 IN THAT DRAFT. CALEB WILLIAMS JAYDEN, DANIELS, DRAKE, MAYE. THEY’RE ALL STARTING QUARTERBACKS, THEY’RE ALL, THEY’VE ALL DONE WELL TO SOME IN SOME DEGREE AND JAYDEN DANIELS, DOING THE BEST REACH, GOING THE FARTHEST WITH THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. YOU, LOOK AT MICHAEL PENNOCK STARTING, HE’S HAD SOME SUCCESS. BO NICKS MADE THE PLAYOFFS AS A ROOKIE, AND THE 1 GUY WHO’S SITTING THERE, AND WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT AND WE DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT YET. IS JJ MCCARTHY. SO HE HAS TO PLAY THE FIRST ROUND, THEY IS JJ MCCARTHY. SO HE HAS TO THE GUY. THEY COULD HAVE HAD BO NICKS BUT THEY TOOK JJ MCCARTHY.

Mike Florio and Michael Holley discuss the Vikings’ handling of J.J. McCarthy and why Kevin O’Connell needs to put the second-year QB back out on the field. #NBCSports #NFL #ProFootballTalk
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Evaluating J.J. McCarthy is Minnesota Vikings’ biggest priority | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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48 comments

  1. it's done – bust! told u clowns before the season. too small, played for a run program in college, weak! they had a proven qb n could have still draft jj. dumb!

  2. I said this then, but when you finished 14-3 you are built to win now. And turning to a rookie quarterback was not the most prudent move. I understand the line and all that, but having a guy who can play well with an injured/bad line. The Viking don't have that now

  17. What happened Mike? You were so adamant this entire offseason about the Vikings not signing Rodgers and sticking with Mccarthy. You were saying that Rodgers is a terrible leader and a distraction to the team. And that JJ is a winner everywhere he’s been. Now look where we are at and what you’re saying 😂😂😂

  18. It is life of not having a QB, you are not making the playoffs and you can only guess what happens each week. You will not draft high enough to move on, if Tua is available you may trade and pay some contract to see him now. This is McCarthy's first year and you try to make progress, if the coaching and QB panic like the Darnold and Jones situation it is on the coach. You have 2-3 year's worth of starts and if you are in O'Connell's situation you should not be panicking and your QB should not go out in a panicked mental state. If I were the Giant's owner, I would get involved, because of the Jones years with Daboll, with a good QB all you could do is panic and flail. He more than likely will eventually get fired and waste rookie years of the new QB, move on if he is not above 500.

  21. Give JJ a chance first. Hard to crucify him with so little game time. Wentz holds ball too long, and line folded a bit. Happy Darnold balling with Hawks. A couple bad breaks in our two losses. He too needs to roll a bit more, rush up middle in his face can be issues..

  26. Has McCarthy played enough games to evaluate? What's he played, three games? Can someone familiar with the Vikings explain why McCarthy is so hated? He's played 8 bad quarters or whatever, but how many bad quarters did Manning play his first season starting? Not caping up for the guy, as I am a Bears and OSU fan, but think he should at least get a year or two to play before saying he's trash.

  29. Trade Swap JJM & a good iOL to Seatle 4 QB Milroe & QB Lock or Vikes will be ruined for next 2 seasons & JJM will be cut.

    A swap will help both clubs get into the PO's 4 many seasons

    Vikes get 2 good QBs & 12s get a good iOL

  34. Probably not the best scenario for JJ coming back to play the Lions in Detroit, esp. after the way they demolished the Bucs. No pressure or anything. What could go wrong?

  35. The issue is the quarterback position? I know that's what gets clicks and stuff Mike but you can't be that ignorant or stupid. The defense is a travesty. Metellus can't cover anyone. Special teams coach needs to be fired immediately. Offensive line is like wet Kleenex. I really thought you were more insightful. There's a reason I unsubscribed but I thought I'll go see what Mike has to say. Clearly you're just like KOC. Your refusal to change will be your downfall.

  37. Uh no, all of the 2nd yr qb have issues, JJ may be a bust but jaden Daniels will also have a career plagued with injuries so he may not be great either for a whole season. Hes very thin framed to get in car wrecks every weekend. Caleb has ups and downs and Drake maye takes a lot of risks too with his running. Pennix is already 25 and has had two ACLs so he has to be careful as well. You know who stays healthy? Goff and Flacco lol.

  40. They’ll say it was o line issues then figure out a way to keep 4/5 o line because…. Chemistry. Then we’ll be right back in the same spot next year. Wondering if JJ is the guy because he’s getting killed

  44. Why did our quarterback keep on giving football to Aaron Jones every single time because once or twice maybe but there are so many others to throw to, by constantly giving to Aaron Jones the other team was expecting it and were set up for it, he should have changed things around use the other players wide receivers, Running backs, or Tight end. But he kept giving to Aaron Jones and he could not make much headway. They were prepared for him, use all the other talent not just Aaron.

  46. I have been an avid Vikings fan since 1972. I am done. Same garbage coach, same garbage GM and sick of this organization. When I die I have one final wish ….. I want 6 Vikings players as my pallbearer’s so they can let me down one final time. Blow this organization up.

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