“It’s just not being afraid to fail out here and try new things, and afterwards, chalk it up and go from there,” said McCarthy, elaborating that he doesn’t get hung up on poor throws, but rather keeps pressing forward. “You learn from it, you emotionally detach from that outcome and you just keep moving.”
Evidently, McCarthy also is better equipped, mentally, to assume the role of NFL starter.
“I was just very happy with the way I prepared and went about that recovery process above the neck,” McCarthy shared. “Everyone wants to be perfect, especially at the quarterback position, but the more you try to be perfect, it’s going to kill you more than your imperfections will. And I feel like just being able to accept, in these learning and teaching phases, that it’s OK to fail and try things and go out there and take risks … as long as you do that, whatever’s down the road is going to come when it comes.”
O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown have taken a “no-stone-unturned” approach with passing along lessons and communication to McCarthy.
“We’ve got to come out and feel it, and organically feel exactly where he’s at,” said O’Connell, explaining for a long time he’s told quarterbacks it doesn’t matter if they’re studying on their own, or in the huddle resetting after a play where perhaps a protection call was forgotten – there’s another snap coming fast.
While it’s impossible to replicate a game-feel in helmets-only practices that focus heavily on learning and by design keep McCarthy and fellow quarterbacks completely clean from contact, there’s an innate advantage the Vikings offense, and especially McCarthy, can absorb from going against a defense that ranked first in interceptions and fifth in points against in 2024 and is continuing to evolve.