Minnesota Vikings QB JJ McCarthy has taken MAJOR steps forward

Minnesota Vikings QB JJ McCarthy has taken MAJOR steps forward

Where's big boys at? >> Purple Daily is daily Vikings entertainment. I just want the Vikings to win a Super Bowl before we die. >> I will ride with this group. >> Seriously, man. >> Please. >> And away we go. >> Big boys are here. Big boys are here for State of the >> Where the big boys at? >> Where the big boys at? >> Where are the big boys at? It's a state of the Vikings Tuesday and uh off yesterday we've decided to spend the entire hour diving even deeper on the meaningfulness of that Washington Commanders game. Were they actually trying or not? A full hour uninterrupted today on Purple Daily presented by Quick Trip. >> Don't even kid. I saw people on on Twitter last night. I was like, I got to mute this part. I'm tired of this. And I talked about it. Uh yes, but you know what I'm not tired of? I'm never tired of stopping at Quick Trip. Why? Because of the convenience. because of the fact that if I need uh gasoline, you got the quality gasoline guarantee. If I need a snack, you got that. If I need breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they've got that. And you know what? Have I got an idea for you. It's the perfect stocking stuffer, it's a Quick Trip gift card. That's right. If you're looking for that small gift for, I don't know, a co-worker, uh, or a friend, the QuickTrip gift card is perfect. Coffee, fuel, snacks, delicious food, and more. It's this simple. Just go to quicktrip.com/shop.quicktrip.com/shop.quicktrip is uh convenience for you at every single turn including a very easy to get gift card. Okay, boys. So, we're going to for the overview. It is official now. They uh they have a 0% mathematical chance to make the playoffs. So, we can we can eliminate that section of the Tuesday state of the Vikings. We are going to replace it. I I'm not going to speak for you guys, but I am not advocating for tanking. I I prioritize winning culture, young quarterback taking steps over like three extra draft slot positions. If you want to push back at that, you guys are welcome to, but uh we will replace the playoff percentage odds with the Tankathon update for those of you that are interested in their draft position. So, right now, as of today, the Vikings would have the 13th overall pick in the National Football League draft. Uh, they are tied record-wise at 6 and8 with the Dolphins and the Mahomesless Chiefs who find themselves monitoring Tankathon for the first time in a long time. And because the Vikings have the strongest strength of schedule among those teams, they lose the tiebreaker. Uh, so they are 13th, just ahead of the Cowboys at 67-1. The Ravens and the Panthers are both at seven and seven. So, if you're interested in the Vikings climbing that, we can keep you posted. If you don't care, we can move on. Do you guys Do you guys care about their draft position at this point? >> Absolutely. Absolutely. And and look, look, I've said from the start, the priority here is McCarthy. So, if McCarthy is developing and they win, fine. If they lose, great. >> I don't care at this point. As long as he plays >> Yeah, you can get both of those. >> As long as he plays well. And and just to be clear because I'm seeing a lot more now on tanking in the in this league. O okay, this is not across the board like a like the coach does not say let's lose. You have some players who check out and the one good thing about the Vikings not tanking is I'll go back to this. It have been very easy for them for a lot of guys to be like season's over. Who cares, right? >> Yeah. >> Unless someone wants to correct me. I do not get that feeling from this team. I do not get the feeling that people are not trying. >> It feels like >> I think they >> Well, it it Yeah, they it feels like they definitely still are buying into something bigger beyond like they're obviously they're out of the playoffs and there's going to be a bunch of these guys that are still on the team next year and they're invested in, okay, if this is our quarterback here, like there's a there's a longer arc to this beyond the last three weeks of the season. So, how can we how can we finish strong so that heading into April, May, the offseason program, you actually feel like you can do something in 2026 worthwhile. >> They also have a good room. And and I'll say this, despite the uh the lack of production, which you know might be concerning, it's really hard to get pissed off and give up when Justin Jefferson is not being used as much or catching passes and that sucker is still saying every day, "Hey man, I'm I'm blocking. I'm in there." Like, like if you are on this team and you're just a you're just a Jag. You're just a guy. and you look across the room and Justin Jefferson is there and you watch that film, are you really going to then say, "Screw that. That guy's an idiot." So, I think he helps set a huge tone. >> Uh, one more thing on Tankathon. So, they are, if you're wondering, okay, how do they how if they keep losing or whatever. So, Atlanta, whose pick goes to the Rams, is in the next wins losses slot up. They're so they're solo in 10th at five and nine, one game ahead of or behind the Vikings. And then it's three teams that are two games different than the Vikings. Cincinnati, Washington, New Orleans. I feel like it's going to be by winning your last two games, it's going to be really hard to climb up beyond like 10th or ninth. Like you're pretty well slotted >> outside the top 10 between somewhere between probably like 10 11 and maybe 15 16. That's almost certainly where the Vikings are going to draft at this point. >> Uh in terms of where the offense ranks, couple nice performances, so they've climbed a little bit. They're 25th in scoring offense, 26th in yards per play, 27th in offensive expected points added. Defensive ranks 13th in scoring defense, seventh in yards per play allowed, and ninth in defensive EPA. So top 10ish defense. JJ McCarthy, good news. Okay. So, so passer rating, he's still last among qualified quarterbacks. 32nd. There's 32 qualified quarterbacks. Now, he's up to 29th in QBR. He's he's still last in expected points added plus completion percentage over expected as one metric, 33rd. But he's climbed in PFF grade up from I think he was 35th. He's at 33rd out of 44 qualified quarterbacks. So, his average rank has gone up from 35th to 32nd. >> Climbing up. >> There you go. >> Almost into the top 30. >> There you have it. >> So, I think, you know, for, you know, this is probably the the fifth time that we've had some similar big story line. We do the biggest story line and then favorite least favorite things. And I will identify the biggest story line this week as JJ McCarthy has taken major steps forward the last two weeks. What does it all mean? What does it mean in the short term? What does it mean going into the off seasonason now that you've seen the Washington game and the Cowboys game? And I will say after yesterday, any litigation of how much the Washington game mattered or didn't, we did that yesterday. >> I think the audience knows where you and I stand in terms of whether they cared or not. And so we where we agree is it's all part of a bigger puzzle that's being put together. There's three more games of the season, so we don't have to relitigate that yesterday. But what does it mean these last two weeks? Oh, >> I think it means he's I think it means he is making improvement, but I think just as important is what does this mean in terms of Kevin Oonnell? Like to me, that's the thing here. It's no accident that things have changed drastically in in dropping the we're going to work on your fundamentals and have you thinking about those during a game, which by the way, you're still young, so you're not really prepared to play in the game all of the time and now we want you thinking. Uh it comes back to the focus the last two games on the run game, which which helps, you know, despite the fact that they did not run the ball well against the Cowboys, they didn't abandon it. It comes back to going heavy at the goal line and putting McCarthy in in a position to waltz into the end zone instead of doing what so many coaches like to do now is let's just have a pass play from the one. No one will see it coming despite the fact there's no room there. Um, so I think it means a lot and but I mean I think it's I actually think that JJ McCarthy's development is as as much on Kevin O'Connell as the kid himself because if he's allowed to play within his own structure and I know it's not ideal. Okay, I get that Kevin. But if JJ McCarthy is allowed to sort of of take these steps, I think we're seeing I mean are we seeing phenomenal play? No. But we're seeing a competent player who is improving >> and and that's why I go back to I thought Dallas was impressive. You're on the road. It's prime time. There's a lot of things working against you. Um and so >> he's the color commentator at times felt like he was working against a guy. I don't know. >> I thought his breakdowns though, I really enjoyed him. I I thought they were he clearly got a lot of inside intelligence which was good. But it but >> I also think this is now okay. Are we is is this the direction that we are going to go? Are we going to keep things tailored to what this player particular player JJ McCarthy does well? Because if they are, I think we got a chance. If we revert, I don't think we do. So, I think it means a lot. But I think it's the marriage, man. I think it's the marriage. It's not It's not on one person. It's on the marriage of the coach, play caller, and the quarterback. So I and I apologize if I'm jumping ahead to another category, but we should probably continue to milk the what's the percent chance that JJ McCarthy is the starting quarterback in 2026 >> cuz a few weeks ago, right, it a few weeks ago it was probably lowish. I I mean that stock has has to have gone up in the last two weeks. >> Should we put a number I mean put a number on it? >> Let's do it. I I I still think it's 90%. I I I I I I think they're going to bring in competition. I think there's or a more suitable backup plan behind him. I think it's 90. I I really do. I I think it's with the steps he's taken the last two weeks and even whatever happens here in the next three games, unless it's like a complete reverting, which is on the table, obviously, I still think it's J.J. McCarthy's team most likely in in 2026. I would say like 75% right now because I because we've seen KO and his wandering quarterback eyes throughout various offseasons. >> Yes. >> So I I put it at like 75 but but higher than it was two weeks ago. Yeah. >> Yeah. I would go I would go probably 65% because and but but here here's why. I've been heavily influenced by the fact that on a Friday night the Wild traded for Quinn freaking Hughes, right? So I keep going back to and it's funny because we enjoy this. Some of the public does for sure some of it uh and our colleagues do not is you got to be prepared and and like Phil's right that wandering eye. >> So I'm so here's a question off that. Is JJ McCarthy the Vikings starting quarterback next season or is he somebody else's starting QB because he's been involved in in a big game trade? >> Wow. No, but but I'm saying like like his value is going up. And quite frankly, if I'm a coach, if I'm a coach, I'm passing judgment. If I'm watching film, like if I'm going to trade, if if I'm considering it, right, >> and I'm watching film, I'm passing judgment on KO, too. I'm like, hold on a second here. What were you doing there? Like, what were you thinking that this kid's got something? He definitely has something. But I just wouldn't eliminate the fact that the Vikings could include him in a trade if they decide to go big game veteran QB hunting. >> Yeah. I mean, it's some of this is my my wife and I have a thing over the years where we talk it could be it could be any sort of decision like vacation or whatever it is and we talk about like the the regret deathbed test of okay >> uh this this friend trip might be a little expensive or whatever you know are we what are we going to regret more >> not doing it or are we going to be sitting there like oh if we only would have saved the $500 you know >> what are you so like if you're if you're putting the Vikings organization to the to the deathbed test, saying what what would you regret more, letting JJ McCarthy play it out for another season or whatever? Oh man, wish we wouldn't have wasted so much time with JJ because we missed blank opportunity. We could have got that was the window to get Burrow. Okay, like that that could be a plausible scenario where oh man, like Joe Burrow might actually be available if a couple dominoes fall the right way. Well, that would be an opportunity cost of continuing forward with McCarthy. But if it's like, man, we could really miss our chance to trade a third round pick for Mac. Jones, I don't I okay, like what would I regret more? I I would be more at peace. >> I agree with this >> with what some of the things we've seen with McCarthy. And I've got something for you guys that I think is going to blow everyone's mind here before this episode's over. >> Yes. >> I feel like you would regret not seeing it out for another season, season and a half >> again. Unless we're if we're talking Joe Burrow. >> Agree. >> I've got wandering quarterback eyes. >> Yeah. Yeah. Right. They should. Yeah. >> But if it's, you know, if it's like Kyler Murray or this and this is you you have to be weighing these things as you go forward. I mean, we're going to weigh him on this show, but like especially if you're making the actual decisions in the organization. >> Absolutely. >> So, I I was doing some digging here before the show. These are our deep dive Tuesday episodes. And um and I was I wanted to bring to the table at first it was like, hey, these last two weeks, what are the areas in which he has sort of popped? Like, what are and and I could go through a bajillion of them. If you just look at the last two weeks, passer rating, he's fourth. PF grade, he's fourth among all quarterbacks, expected points added per play, he's third. Yards per attempt, fifth. Zero turnover worthy plays. They So, they don't count that interception as being his fault. We could probably debate that. Like, all right, he's got a lot of passes tipped. So, there's a lot of really good signs just the last two weeks. But I wanna I want to give you guys something here, you guys and the audience, just some food for thought. Something that might actually change a lot of people's viewpoints on the on the season here. There's been a lot of bad and some historically bad woven into this first season for McCarthy, but I want to direct your attention to something that So PFF has a scouting metric called big time throw rate. >> Oh yeah. >> Big time BTT football. >> Big time throw. And it is defined it's it's a little bit of like a you know it when you see it kind of thing. It's it's more of a subjective scouting measure, but it highlights quarterbacks who consistently make exceptional plays that create big scoring opportunities, separating them from quarterbacks who only make easy open passes. It's a key metric for evaluating quarterback skill beyond basic completion percentage or touchdown numbers. So, the key characteristics of a big-time throw are high difficulty, so tight window, deep down the field, you're beating an excellent coverage or tight coverage in some form, excellent execution, so great timing, anticipation throws, accuracy on the throw, and overcoming defensive pressure or coverage. So, you're getting smacked as you throw, and you hit TJ Hawinson 20 yards up the seam over the second layer of defenders. like that's a big time throw. You know it when you see it. And then focus on the throw. So it's less about, okay, if a receiver drops it, you still get credit for a big time throw in this category. So for some context, last season big time throw uh just total big- time throws. Josh Allen and Joe Burrow had the most big-time throws. The season before that, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, and Matthew Stafford led the big-time throw category. >> 10 years ago, Ben Rothllessberger, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer were the leaders in big-time throws back in 2015. >> Yeah. >> The first year PFF tracked this metric was in 2006. They've gone back and like refined and they've gone back and watched film and the leaders, so this is now 20 years ago. The leaders that season in big-time throws were Payton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, and Philip Rivers. So, like every year, big- time throw rate might as well be the best quarterbacks in the NFL who make the the ballsiest throws, tight window, face of pressure, right? So, this season, for the entire season, not just the last two weeks, this season, Matthew Stafford is tied for the NFL lead in big-time throw percentage. He's tied with one other guy, JJ McCarthy. >> Wow, that's >> JJ McCarthy is tied for the NFL lead with Matthew Stafford in big-time throw percentage. He has on the season 16 big-time throws. Lamar Jackson has seven, Jared Goff has 14, just for some context. >> Yeah. >> So, like obviously there's a lot of things that go into playing quarterback at a high level, >> right? >> You you got to avoid sacks. You got to stay healthy. You got to make the the easy throws between the big time throws. There's a consistency that's needed, >> right? >> And so, I'm not saying like he's a fully formed, but if you're looking for traits that play at the top of the quarterback list, >> Yep. That is a huge, huge, huge one and he is delivering on it. So again, like the other guys, I'm I'm not saying he's Brady right now or even Dak from a couple years ago. >> Those guys have filled in the entire picture of being quarterback. >> Yep. >> But there's a lot of dudes that are never going to sniff the top of a big-time throw percentage ranking because they're not capable, they're not willing, they're not ballsy enough. Uh and and maybe their coach has to kind of scheme around that or maybe the coaches don't even ask some of the quarterbacks to make those throws. >> But I man like I I went in just kind of looking for some fun little highlights. It is that is a really important category that the best quarterbacks in the world the last 20 years have owned. And JJ McCarthy is tied with Matthew Stafford at the top of the big time throw rate list. So, one is that does not surprise me completely because because to go back to the arm, like we've seen the arm, it's cannon. Like, he's got a great arm. Like, that that's the one thing that I don't get. Uh, and I didn't get and and then we started to watch games and it's like, okay, I can see I can see there's issues there. But, I mean, when you saw that arm originally, if I told you, hey, he's going to be near the top of that that list, I don't think it wouldn't be like, how is he going to do that? You know, his arm's not great. you'd be like, "Yeah, it's really good." The interesting thing about that stat though is the fact that in some ways it shows what he doesn't know yet, which is at times you probably don't want to make the big time throw all the time. But it's a very interesting statistic and and there are things including the fact that the team is, I think, four and four with him as as the starter. There are things that are that could certainly cause optimism and it's just unfortunately when you see like a game like the Chicago or Green Bay game it's just such a downer but you know the comeback in Chicago three quarters of bad one quarter of really really good the game in Detroit again certainly far from flawless but you won it in Detroit tough place to win and you did make a huge throw at the end to seal that game the game on Sunday >> so it's funny cuz you get caught up and I think I think rightfully so in the poor games because they're so poor. But working around those things, there have been some good signs and the big time throw thing does not surprise me. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that comes down in the future a little bit as he learns more, but it's certainly a good sign of what he can do. Yeah, I mean it it by the way the last the last two weeks it's even more pronounced on just on passes traveling 20 yards or more in the air the last two weeks he has a 44% big-time throw rate. He has like five big-time throws in I think actually it's four big time throws in nine attempts. He's six for nine the last two weeks on throws traveling 20 yards or more in the air. A 146.8 passer rating. Um, and and to piggyback off what you said that there's like there's a there there with this kid and there's there's some stuff. It's not fully refined obviously yet, but I think like the three things that have really really stood out now that we've seen eight games of sample size. His I think his general competitiveness and fire and demeanor are very pronounced and obvious. If you're looking for a guy that absolutely cares and is fired up and is a kind of a gravitational pull for teammates, like teammates sometimes I think teammates don't know exactly what to do with him, but like they they love him and the way that they interact with him on the sidelines, like it's obvious that they they enjoy they enjoy his presence as a teammate and football player. The other thing is like his his relentless positivity in the face of a ton of injuries the first year and a half, some really bad play at times and he has just remained this like force of JJ and that smiley face avatar that he used to have at Michigan and even even in the face of people mocking him and the nine persona. Now, some of this is like self-inflicted, so I'm not you I'm not trying to make him a martyr here, but uh but he's and I would even say like relentless positivity in the face of his coaching staff not really giving him everything that he >> probably agree more with that. Yeah. >> Yeah. And and he has just kind of like here he is, he's grittying into the end zone and doing his thing. And then like we've already talked about with the numbers I just threw out with the big time throws, but his arm talent and even his ability now to be decisive and read the field, he he does not look confused or overwhelmed nearly as much, if at all, these last two games for sure. >> He's out there and it's like boom, I know where I'm It might not be accurate, but I know where I'm going with the football. I might miss Justin Jefferson by 5t over here wide open, but I know where I'm going. And that's a huge part of the battle when you're a young quarterback just figuring out how to get the ball out without getting sacked or throwing a terrible interception. >> I thought with no uh statistical proof, I thought Sunday was the first time and easily easily the best that he was fitting the ball into spaces that I didn't know if he could do it >> and and he he did. The Naylor touch I think it was the Naylor first touchdown pass. That was an incredible pass. >> Yeah. Uh the Hawinson was that a >> big That was a big time throw by the way. I think that would be like >> and the Hawinson throw that sucker was a rope. That was a Warren Moon pass. Like there was no that sucker was a dart. But I mean that's a hard pass. Now that that's a hard pass to catch and he put it right there. The Naylor one the first touchdown pass could have been picked easily but he put it in the right space. like these are the things I think that are progress because there was a lot of times where he didn't where where he'd get picked off or he would overthrow it or things and yes he still had that on Sunday at times but I just I think we've really seen a progression now and again I think it's because he's not thinking so much >> I'm sorry but if you're thinking about where your leg is is your leg kicking up can I keep my feet on the ground all things that probably need to be fixed eventually I get that. Um, but if you're thinking about those things, then you're thinking about executing just a play, which by the way, you know, when guys spit plays out, it's like, what the hell? Like, it is incredible. So, like, if you're thinking about your mechanics, but now you're thinking about the play clock, but now you're thinking about what you're going to like, think about all that. You got to strip something away. You got to >> No, I agree. Like if you're if you're at all that that was the baffling part about the the mechanical stuff in the middle of the season, >> you're like, "Okay, well I I mean KO's built up a ton of trust and so I guess this is this is a thing that they're going to they're going to work on this like during the by-week his freaking mechanics and footwork and they're going to try to get him back and they were trying to use the ankle as a guy's for they were blurring the lines of like after ankle stability and mechanics all kind of in one but it was very obvious that they are not happy with his mechanics. Judging by the fact that three weeks ago KO came out and said, "Enough about mechanics. Let's just we're going to worry about that in the offseason." Yeah, dude. Like >> you brought it up. >> But yeah, I mean, you were the Yeah, you're the one that Enough Enough about this. >> Yeah, I'm not talking about that, but you were. So, for yeah, I I just the big time throw rate stuff is if you're looking for what are the the most important traits if if you're trying to figure out is someone going to become a franchise quarterback, a top five, top 10 guy in the league. I would say big-time throw rate is really, really high on that list. It's it's kind of you know it when you see it, but do you have the ability to to throw a ball into a spot where most of us would look and say, "Oh, I don't know about that. I don't know, Jim. >> Oh, Jim, >> I don't know." Oh, and and and you stick it to Hawinson. You hit Naylor on that on that touchdown pass. And um the the fact that he is doing that at a higher level than any other quarterback in the NFL on a on a per throw basis, >> right, >> is an in in a season, by the way, in which he's never done this before and he's been terrible in like half the games he's played. To still be sitting at top that list with Matthew Stafford is is very wow factor for me. Yeah, he just I I' I've really been impressed with what he's done the last two weeks obviously, but I I'm with Jud. It's this marriage of Kevin Oonnell also embracing other personnel, other play calling, other moments that have kind of married JJ up a little bit, kind of elevate him up, and can he continue that? And then is how does that like factor into the offseason plans? I know we said yesterday, you know, we should do like a deep dive. What are who are the personnel guys that the Viking really should target, especially if they have, you know, limited resources capwise because they do have to figure out how to get their cap situation under um back in a good spot, but who are those guys that they can target to make also JJ McCarthy's life a lot easier in 2026? >> Yeah. Yeah. Um yeah, there's a there's a bunch of blueprint stuff. We're we're definitely going to hit the ground running in January with offseason blueprint episodes and I've been working on the modifying our uh cap sheet of glory from last year >> which is now going to be which is now going to be jam-packed. >> Yeah. >> Well, there's a lot of red marks to be made. I feel like >> cap sheet of glory. >> Well, we got some work to do. >> We got some restructures, too. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, there's some restructures. There might be some cuts out. There's going to be outright cuts. We are we are going to bring an end to careers here at Purple Daily. >> Uh before we get to our favorite and least favorite Vikings things, one of our favorite things is MSP plumbing, heating, and air conditioning. Jud, >> absolutely is. And look, you know what? It's been freezing cold. I I get it. We have a bit of a reprieve. I believe 40° today, but that does not mean that you still shouldn't be concerned about your furnace. In fact, during the cold snap, if you had any concerns, if your furnace was not firing at peak efficiency, or you know what, you thought, "My goodness gracious, I think I have not had my furnace checked in quite some time," then you want to definitely call MSP 651-6154292. Don't forget, they are also your local carrier dealer. MSP and Carrier, a winning combination. If you don't, if you're shy, you don't want to call them, that's okay. You can check out their website, callmssp.com. Like you're like I don't like to call people and I don't blame you for that. Okay. >> Check out their website. Callms MSP.com. Make sure that furnace is working at peak efficiency. >> I don't even think you can call prize. You might I don't know. There's probably like a number call. >> I would just I would just open up the app though if you want to find out if you want to find out like how many yards JJ McCarthy is going to throw for projected by prize picks. Just open the app. 188.5 against the Giants, the Gmen. Uh I might go more on that after what we've seen the last couple weeks. We'll see. But prize picks is a great way to win real money this football season. You select between two and six players and you pick more or less on their projected stats. You place your entry and bada bing. It's very easy. And the deal is use that code purple daily uh when you download and open the prize picks app and you can get $50 in lineups when you play just $5. That's code purple daily on prize picks to get $50 in lineups when you play just $5 prize picks. It's good to be right. Uh or frames could be a great little last minute holiday gift idea for the audience too, Jud. >> Very, very true. And and here is the thing. It's so simple. Even Sports Dad did it. That's right. He loaded up his Aura frames and it it would be a great gift. The best thing is that you can preload photos before it ships. You can share those and videos straight from your phone. If you're watching this, as you you can see, a nice gift box is included as well. It's a perfect gift. And you can save on Auraframes by going to auraframes.com to get $35 off their bestselling Carver Matt Frames by using the promo code PD at checkout. That's a frames aurframes.com. Promo code PD. This deal, by the way, exclusive to our audience. And the frame sell out fast. So, order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. And of course, support our show by mentioning Purple Daily at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. >> All right, let's And if you want to include more McCarthy stuff in here, we can we can keep the party going, but let's uh get into our favorite current Vikings things. Dax, you want to lead us off? >> Sure. Yeah. Uh I I'll actually go I I've obviously talked a lot about the personnel stuff uh lately, but I'll I'll actually go to an individual player. It's got to be Jaylen Naylor. Um, so, so Naylor continues to also stack good games as, uh, as as Kevin Oonnell has said before, a couple touchdowns yesterday on on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys on the season. 26 grabs, 395, averaging over 15 yards per reception. Um, I I am really bullish on this guy and I'm actually more interested in locking him up long term. Um, and maybe maybe Jordan Addison's value has dropped a bit in 2025. Like maybe you're not going to get maybe at the peak value that maybe it was going into the season, but I'm I'm interested in keeping him, man. I I think Jaylen Naylor here is is has been really great. And as much as we have whipped quesy, this was this was from Quasy's first draft in 2022. He was a sixth round pick. Um I'm I'm bullish on Jaylen Naylor, man. I really I would like to figure out a way to keep him beyond this season. >> Spreadsheet of glory coming right up. I mean, >> next couple weeks, next month or so, we'll be doing exactly that. >> It's a decision, man. Like, >> yes, it is. >> I I don't think Do you think there's any way that they would resign Naylor without moving I'm not even going to I don't think they're anywhere near like entertaining moving Jefferson. So, I I know some fans might throw that in there, but >> but like is there any way they would resign Jaylen Naylor as the third wide receiver without trading Jordan this off season? >> I don't see that. I don't see that. But I do think I do think that a decision has to be made. I know, you know, K KO has talked publicly, not surprising, the fact that he loves Jordan before and we all know that. And Jordan, I mean, I guess he's fine. I don't know. But when you've had the amount of issues off the field and Naylor now has turned into what looks to be a legit threat. And he looks to be I mean, he it's not like I watched him on Sunday and thought, you know what, this guy's a three. No way he can be a two, right? No way. So, it opens up an interesting discussion. A and I am concerned about signing Addison to a very, very lucrative extension with his past. >> As far as I know, with Speedy, we got no problems. >> Yeah. And with the biggest problem with Speedy for a minute there was drops, right? He had some drop issues kind of earlier in his career. And Jordan Addison has one of the highest drop rates in the NFL, that's become an issue for I don't know. I don't I wouldn't project that to be like a thing the rest of his career necessarily, >> right? But in a season where dude you need the infrastructure to be at their peak and for him to get suspended for three games for you know obviously that was from something that happened a year and a half ago. But to to put yourself in a spot where you miss three games, you get suspended for like the portion of a game at one point because you went MIA in London and now you have the highest drop rate of your career. It's like >> yep, >> why are you taking a step back in all these areas as you're emerging into your prime? Uh Jaylen Naylor in terms of uh his drop rate. So it was it was 11% last year. Kind of a small sample. It was only like a handful of drops. >> Care to guess how many drops Jaylen Naylor has this year? >> Zero. I think >> zero. >> I was going to say I don't remember one significant play where where he has not caught the ball. >> Yeah. He has come up big in the Detroit game, the Dallas game where it's time to time to stick a dagger in somebody with a silver helmet and he's there on that back shoulder making the catch. You can't say the same thing about in terms of drop rate and letting your quarterback down. You can't say the same thing about Jefferson and Addison. >> No, this year. >> If you check out the spreadsheet of Glory, Phil, I'm guessing that you could actually bring you could resign Naylor. You definitely have to clear some cap space for 26, but I think you could bring Jordan back. because he's still on his rookie contract, but you would basically be committing then to probably trade him next off season if you don't trade him now. So, I don't think that like there's an immediate decision on Jordan, but I do think that if you bring back Jaylen, it spells it probably means you're not going to sign Jordan long term, which I just think in and of itself is a decision just because of all the other stuff. So they'll for Addison because this is his third year as a first round pick, you get you get the ability before like May to exercise the fifth year option which is 100% they're going to >> Oh yeah, >> cuz it just it just adds another year of team control. >> Yep. >> So that would put two years left on Jordan Addison's contract. The the fifth year, we don't know exactly what that cap number is. It's usually like quite a bit higher, but not market rate high. >> Correct. >> But but in 2026, Jordan Addison's cap number is only $4.3 million. And the projected cap's going to be like 305 million. So for one more year, he's it's only going to be like 1.5% or less of the overall cap. And any any contract you would sign Jaylen Naylor to is likely because there's going to be a signing bonus. And now we're like into the spreadsheet of Glory Weeds here. >> God, I love it. >> It's likely to have a much lower cap hit in year one. So there would be a way financially >> even as you're trying to clear like 30 million in cap just to get compliant >> to resign Naylor with the eye on okay the windows open for the next 12 months at some point we're probably going to trade Jordan because just doesn't make sense to be >> shelling out that much money. So that is >> solved issues. >> These are champagne problems as Quasy would say. You've got three like really good wide receivers here on your >> These are good problems to have. Uh Joe, what is your favorite current Vikings thing? >> Oh, it's easily one thing. The commitment to running the football, which we did not have, which we did not see. Let me give you the breakdown. In the first 12 games, the Vikings averaged 21 and a half rushes per game. Okay, 21 and a half. In the past two, they have had they've gone up to 31. They've I believe run the ball 62 times. That is the math. Yes, they have they have run the ball 62 times in the past two games and that was with a season low 2.8 average per attempt on Sunday. Okay, easy to go away from it. Not working. It's not working. No, no, let's pass pass. >> It didn't happen. But I mean, we are talking approximately 10 more rushing attempts per game in the past two games when, by the way, you've won both and things have gone pretty damn well. uh what combined 65 points and you were at at essentially 22 rushes 21 and a half in the first 12 games. That is my favorite thing. Put McCarthy aside for one second. Let's just talk about offensive philosophy. Pound the rock. >> PTR make the shirts. >> And you know who loves that? Surls and boon. >> Oh yeah, they're going to be Well, so it's funny. Jeremiah noted McCarthy skepticist. >> So he did uh he was he's got a couple big clients, you know, in the NFL. One of them being the starting center for the Gmen. So he was he was in New Jersey watching the Commanders Giants game yesterday in the cold weather. >> What a >> supporting his client >> outside. >> Yeah. Yeah. He was he was not comfortable. Uh so he was he was at the New York airport just doing O line committee with us for like 45 minutes conveniently. Oh, I got to Oh, I got to call, guys. I got to Oh, I got to call and I got to hop on the plane before we get to the McCarthy Dallas part of the conversation. >> Wow. >> That's me throwing him directly under the bus. Bust throw fine. I will take that. >> Yep. >> That's right. We'll we'll force him to talk about today. But, okay, off of that point. So, I'll give you I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to audible here. >> Can can can. I I agree on on the it's it's less about the success of running the football the last couple weeks and there's been some pops against Washington especially. >> Yep. >> It was mostly against Dallas. It was mostly just kind of running into the line of scrimmage. Maybe get three yards. Maybe there's an eight yard two yard loss over here. But the last two weeks, JJ McCarthy on play action has a 138.5 passer rating >> and the third highest PFF grade among all quarterbacks the last two weeks off play action. So you don't have to be breaking 20 yard runs for it to be effective. it be I mean that's that's the holy grail is like you commit to the run and you gas them for a buck 75 and your passing game gets going but just showing the run that many times >> correct >> guess what happens and I haven't gone back and looked at the all 22 but >> freeze people >> there's probably some plays like that hocket like where a linebacker a half second beat of oh is that oh is that a run play oh it's not >> boom second level is a little more open over here >> yeah on off play action uh the last two weeks they haven't done a ton of it but He's nine of 13, so a 70% completion rate. 9 and 1/2 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, no picks. Um, average depth of target, 12 yards, so higher than his season average hunting down the field. >> And that's then there's a drop in there. So, his adjusted completion percentage is like 80% off play action the last two weeks. >> It helps. >> Oh my god, baby. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, you're exactly right. You freeze people. the linebacker freezes and once he freezes it's on. Uh but if they're not afraid the problem is when you are running approximately 21 times per game or 22 times per game you know got teams watch film and they're like they can basically break down your tails and they're basically like okay in this instance they ain't going to run so everybody can you know nobody comes up in the box then >> it having an Adrien Peterson helps a ton back in his prime. get that. But you have to have the threat. You have to have it. And they and and they're threatening now. And that to me is a huge step for the play caller. Another one of my favorite Vikings things is the fact that they are running the ball more consistently on those short yardage situations and they're they're being a little more creative. Like you mentioned the naked bootleg touchdown run. That was a goal to go, but it was one yard. Uh the the one that they got stuffed on was a jet sweep to Jaylen Naylor, but I still love it. I love Okay, you're not going to you're not going to line up and just like run it into the muck up up the A gap. You're not going to run power every time. So get a little creative. Get a little bit left to right sometimes. >> Yep. >> But they have they have in the last two or three weeks, um I don't know, maybe maybe someone in that research department brought the the third and short pass run splits to the table and was like, "Guys, what are we doing here?" >> Oh, he sent it to somebody. 70. I emailed it to everyone. >> They just watch the show like, "Oh my god." >> But it's like it's and it's not a 100%. It's funny. I I get when when they get stuffed on the Jaylen Naylor run, of course, like five anonymous guys on Twitter are like, "What happened there, Matt?" It's like, "No, we're telling you it's like a 70% success rate. Not 100%, 70% when you run it versus 25 or 30% for the Vikings when they pass it." They've converted more of those short yardage third, fourth down, and shorts because they've committed to running the football more often. the last few weeks. >> And I do think a hidden thing here too is if you are predictable in any way, you're going to be toast. I'll give you an example. The the uh Steelers and Dolphins Monday night game, the Steelers ran a lot more 11 personnel because they were going jumbo and they were going and guess what happens? You get predictable. So like anything if this is like your only identity, this is the National Football League in 2025. the National League. >> The National Football League. Do you know what people are doing here? Nothing. They don't have lives. You think they're going to celebrate Christmas? They're going to be watching film. So, like this whole thing about like like it's not that you can't run 11 personnel, but you can't do it all the time. You can't go jumbo. You can't try to run power all the time. Like in 1986, go for it. Just run your offense. That's your offense. That's it. It's changed. So, like that's the thing is like Okonnell by throwing curve balls is now has teams off balance. >> Yeah. And it's like if if you if you are the 2021 Rams and you have Matthew Stafford at the peak of his powers and you've got Cooper Cup at the peak of his game and you are you are just a machine. Go ahead and run 11 personnel 80% of the time until someone can stop it because that's what that you got Matthew Staver. But I think un unless you have that ability to kind of do whatever you want to do regardless of what they are doing to you, the Vikings don't have that right now. So they have to I feel like changing up the personnel packages and and it's some some of it is what what Kevin talked about four years ago when he got hired, the illusion of complexity, right? Wasn't that something that he brought up in his introductory press conference? >> Oh yeah. And sometimes the I feel like the illusion of complexity is hey there's three tight ends on the field right now. But this is this is actually going to be a similarly concepted uh play as if there were if it was 11 personnel, but it's just going to be there's two tight ends running routes here. Um it's it's some of the same principles with different personnel groupings. And I agree, maybe it's a small sample size the last two weeks, but I feel like it has directly resulted in more offensive production. >> Yep. >> Yeah. in in those 13 personnel plays. So, the eight plays that they ran against the Cowboys in 13 personnel, there was a McCarthy scramble. I don't think that was a designed run though, if I remember right, cuz yeah, he's in shotgun. So, there was only three true running plays of the eight and 13 personnel. So, five of them were were designed pass plays. Um, which is again the illusion of complexity. That and that's where and the Rams are probably actually going to lean even heavier in the 13 personnel at Dvonte Adams out. Um that that's where you can still have a feast uh with a good quarterback and a good offense even when you have the three tight ends on the field. >> Yeah. Okay. We'll get to some of our least favorite things here in uh just a moment. Declan is becoming in front of our eyes right now. >> Ball guy. >> Oh, ball knower. Not just a ball guy, you're ball knower. Hey, whether you're a ball knower or just a ball enjoyer, you should join us on Thursday for our next Purple Daily Unplugged event at Podri in Northeast Minneapolis, the official beer drinking hub of the Sports Dad. So, it's open to the public 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We'll do a Purple Daily Unplugged podcast. It's the ugly season, ugly sweater edition. Wear your favorite ugly Christmas or holiday or vintage sweater uh for your chance to win prizes from Padres's. You can find out more or just join us from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday uh at Padres's Purple Daily Unplug. Purpleaily.com/unplugged Jud. >> And you you can also uh sip on some absolutely outstanding beers. And I'm going to tell you this right now. The reason why the beer at Padres's is so good is because it's all they do. They only do beer. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel. What they're trying to do is invent beers that you are going to love. And I'm going to tell you right now, they have succeeded. The Red Chimney, absolutely fantastic. The Patty's Premium, a great Sessions beer. Uh, and hopefully you can join us on Thursday. But if you can't and what I just said intrigues you, their beer is now available in more than 200 liquor stores in the metro, Rochester, and Mano. Find them on Facebook or Instagram or check out their website, padre eggs.com. That's padregs.com. Beer knower right here. >> Not beer knower. >> Noted beer knower. If and if you're looking for a digestive system, this guy right here has you covered along with mi. So, this is the time of year where uh maybe you're you're eating things and pushing the limit beyond what you normally would because of holiday gatherings and whatnot. And uh my best holiday recommendation for digestive relief is to schedule a visit or a consultation with my longtime friends at Miy. I I've I I have experience going back decades dealing with various forms of acid reflux and or gird and uh meni has been very helpful in my life and they are the nationally recognized leader in gastro diagnosis quality and care and also um a colonoscopy could be the life-saving gift that keeps on giving. It's the one test that both detects and prevents colon cancer. So, uh, experience the joy of the season, not the discomfort of digestive issues. You don't have to feel that way. mi.com, that's mgi.com. mgi.com. And Vector Windows, Jud also powering State of the Vikings Tuesday here today. >> Oh, you're uh you're muted there, Jud. >> Thank you very much, guys. Vector Windows absolutely on top of of things here. Yes, it takes me a second. And um >> that's your Vector Vector. >> Vector Vector Windows. They are doing an outstanding work. You know why? Because they are a locally based company that has your best interest in mind when it comes when it comes to keeping out the cold. We live in a state here where the conditions are absolutely awful. Vector though they are they are made to build and perform season to season. Their vinyl windows and patio doors reliable, energy efficient, and backed by great support. Vector is a proud example of great local craftsmanship. So go with the home team, ladies and gentlemen. Go with Vector. Find your local Vector dealer at vector windows.com/deer. That's vectorwindows.com/deer. >> Wow, what a save. What a recovery. >> I had to get my script out, but I was just keeping going because I love Vector so much. >> Now, here's a guy here. >> I think my Let me tell you, >> you know what? I was I was Shadur Sanders. my my play chart got taken away and everyone's trying to make excuses why and I was left. I was like where's my what play is this? But then I >> should do manure. >> That's one of the weirdest stories like there's something there and no one will really say it's it's now he just dropped it on the sideline. >> Yeah. It's like dude what he he's a child man. He is the guy >> but you know he's also you got a feeling he's getting no help. >> Yeah. I I mean the organization clearly like the fact that they drafted they passed on quarterbacks for two full rounds and then we're like all right I guess we'll draft a quarterback Dylan Gabriel and then another two rounds go by like god he's still sitting there and everyone's looking at us why didn't you take him in in the top five >> and Stfansky was clearly like >> no no don't don't do it >> don't do it don't do it >> uh I know Jud you got to jump into your Tuesday Thor talks purple extravaganza here. So, let's quick round. Jud, you start us. Least favorite current Vikings thing. >> Uh the Christian Darasaw thing. Uh one, I think he he should be shut down now. Uh but he's missed four games. Uh he played nine snaps in that prime time debacle against the Chargers. He departed early in the games against the Bengals in Cleveland. The Commanders game he got taken out, but that's because the Vikings were up by a ton. But it's just been a really weird year, and it feels like there's more to the story. I mean, the guy suffered a extremely serious knee injury a year ago against the the Rams and Okonnell has alluded to the fact that we don't know all the details of the significance, but he came back really quickly. So, my least favorite thing is a guy who is I think one of the best left tackles went healthy in the entire league. It's just been weird and I'm hoping it it clears itself up. But, I got some questions. I got some questions about why he tried to come back so soon. Did the team want him to come back so soon? Um, he's a very very important part of the offense. So, it's not like, well, he'll just go away. It's It's just odd and I don't like it. Yeah. And by the way, we're going to do a little bit of a deeper dive uh with Doogie on the Doogie episode today, uh, Dex and I. So, we'll talk more about that, but it that's also another thing if positive Phil could come barreling in here again. It's if you're looking for things that are almost certainly going to be better in 2026. We talked about the like it's hard to get worse quarterback play than the Vikings have gotten up until these last two weeks where they've gotten really actually high-end quarterback play. So like full season quarterback play almost certainly going up a notch. Your schedule is going to be worse. We laid out seven of the teams that you're going to play are all like vying for a tankathon uh positioning. But Darasaw is unless there's something chronically wrong and Kevin Oonnell kind of >> cautioned people like that's yesterday he was like no it's we're not concerned long term. >> Yeah >> but okay you're going to get six seven months going into training camp >> you're going to get a better healthier Christian Darasaw almost assuredly knock on wood in 2026 as well. >> Yeah. I'm just hoping it didn't I'm hoping everybody was on the same page and and it went wrong >> as opposed to somebody forced somebody to do something they didn't want or didn't feel capable of. Yeah. >> So, it feels like there's an entire story behind it. We don't know. I'm hoping it's nothing or it turns out to be nothing. >> Uh Dex least favorite current Vikings things. >> Yeah. Uh salute to him for playing through it and having and and and being a Warrior, but losing Jonathan Gdard uh for for the season, which is a which is a bummer here. So, and it it's undisclosed, right? Have they disclosed? It's a shoulder has is having >> heard against Baltimore. >> Yeah. And then he had like the big big brace on, but losing Jonathan Gard um it it does open up an opportunity for maybe Dallas Turner to play more, which that that part is kind of exciting, but losing maybe their most important pass rusher over the last season and a half is obviously a big thing here. Uh so, least favorite thing there for sure. And uh and in general, again, I I keep using uh offseason stuff and blueprint things, but just wondering where he fits in long term because he has a $22 million same cap hit uh this season that he does in 2026, but he has no more guaranteed money left. Uh so I don't know if there's a a reworking of the deal there. Maybe bring that cap number down. I'm still down for Jonathan Gernard being a Viking. I'm not I don't want to move on from Johnard by any means. So uh just curious how he also factors into next season. >> Yep. It was it was definitely a step back for him health-wise, productivity wise. this season. I will say, and mine is more of a broad thing that probably looks into 2026 as well. My least favorite thing, I don't know how many high-end defensive players they have going forward. I mean, Granard, if he's still around, I still think is a really high-end like top 15 edge rusher in the league. Jaylen Redmond has emerged as one of their best defensive players now. >> Sure. Is is he I don't know what to do with him. Like he's a starter for sure, but is he if you win, let's say you decide to cut like Javvon Hargrave to save some money, Jonathan Allen probably around for one more year based on the cap situation. Are you comfortable with that with like another year aging Jonathan Allen and then Jaylen Redmond? Okay, we trust you now as a guy that was playing in the UFFL 5 minutes ago and you had a really good year. Are we anointing him? I think you probably have to. But beyond that, it's like Harrison Smith, older pro probably retiring. >> Yep. >> They have a lot of like good versatile defensive players and the system and the scheme as a whole is productive and has pumped out like three consecutive top 10 defenses. >> Yep. >> But then like Flores is a free agent as a defensive coordinator. So I think my least favorite thing is defensive uncertainty that you don't know who your coordinator is going to be. You don't know Harrison Smith's probably gone. the two veterans you signed to fortify the interior of your defensive line have been like passable but they're in their 30s and not really reliable going into the future. So they they they either need to hit on a couple young play or you need a guy like Tyrie and Ingram Dawkins who played a bunch of snaps and was like showed some flashes to take a big step forward. There's a lot of questions out there. You also the the one uh the questions that you've answered I feel like also are this Josh Matelis needs to go back to playing his previous role like when that dude plays deep as a safety he's not the same >> so he needs to go back to his hybrid role so you need another safety and Byron Murphy Jr. needs to play inside as much as possible so >> those are two things to me that you have to address. The thing too is, you know, if you look at you're gonna have to draft well. Like I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to draft well. Like like you're gonna have to get I'm not saying all starters, but you're going to have to start to have drafts where you get a lot of guys that eventually evolve into starters. >> Yeah. >> And defense is certainly one of those like defensive tackle, right? >> You're going to have to find one. and and in Ingram Dawkins you might have, but this is where not having the drafts like coming up the pipeline really hurt you. >> Mattelis, by the way, so a year ago when you had when you had Cam Binham and Harrison Smith as the other two safeties, >> he only played 90 snaps as as like a free safety a year ago, he's played three he's played the most snaps of any position for him. 350 snaps at free safety. >> Yeah. at the sacrifice of he it's been 200 fewer snaps in the box. It's been 200 fewer snaps in the slot. He's meant to play >> correct >> box slot Rover. >> He's a hybrid linebacker >> more than like getting exposed. >> He's a linebacker, right? Like like he's really more of a linebacker. He's identified as a safety. >> But to me, those are Mattelis and Murphy. Those are two things that you've got to get them back to what they do. the what they do well, especially in Murphy's case because I mean, you paid that dude. >> Yeah. Yep. So, all right, you got to run away cuz we're going to go talk to Dudes and you'll see that on the feeds. Thor talks purple uh for the sports dad, for the actual dad, and for Phil here. We just want the Vikings to win a Super Bowl and for the dog dad. Uh we just want the Vikings to win a Super Bowl before we die.

State of Minnesota Vikings after consecutive wins over the Cowboys and Commanders; What’s the percent chance JJ McCarthy is the Vikings starting quarterback in 2026; Why McCarthy has taken significant steps forward; Favorite and least favorite Vikings things; Plus latest Vikings news and more on Purple Daily.

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