During joint practices with the New England Patriots, two weeks before the season started, Kevin O’Connell finally got to see his offseason work with J.J. McCarthy begin to bear fruit.

“It felt decisive,” O’Connell said after McCarthy completed 13 straight passes against the Patriots, “and it felt like there was an incredible amount of conviction to some of the decisions he made.

“It was all things we’ve been working on, all things he’s talented at and capable of doing. But to do it in this setting should give him some confidence moving forward.”

McCarthy left the joint practices with New England equally encouraged.

​​”I think I’m one of the most accurate guys out there,” McCarthy said, before going into more detail about the way he has approached his throws throughout the summer.

“Just being able to take it day-to-day and really hone in on just every single throw,” he added. “It’s not just, ‘Was the ball completed?’ It’s, ‘Did I give him a runner’s ball? Did I put it on the right pad for him to turn a certain way?’ So just being able to really lean into that as one of my strengths.”

However, the Vikings saw one thing in training camp and another once the season started. McCarthy had three lousy quarters in Week 1, then pulled off the comeback in Chicago. He went 11 of 21 for 158 yards and two picks a week later against the Atlanta Falcons, suffering a high ankle sprain that kept him out until Week 9.

McCarthy looked better upon his return in Detroit than he did in Chicago or against Atlanta. However, his game regressed from there.

McCarthy was 20 for 42 for 248 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions, a week later against the Baltimore Ravens. The Vikings also had eight procedural penalties at home in that game. Last Sunday against the Chicago Bears, McCarthy finished 16 of 32 for 150 yards, with one touchdown and two picks.

“I need to do a better job in my decision-making and accuracy,” he said after Chicago beat the Vikings at home, dropping them to 4-6. “It needs to change, I need to do better.”

Perhaps Minnesota’s decision to go with McCarthy over Sam Darnold is a little easier to process after Darnold threw four interceptions in the Seattle Seahawks’ 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

The Vikings only lost four games last year, but Detroit and the Rams each beat them twice. In Week 7 last year, the Lions created a blueprint that Los Angeles capitalized on four days later. Even though Minnesota didn’t lose again until Week 18, Darnold had lulls after that, especially when he threw three picks during the Week 10 game in Jacksonville.

However, Darnold finished the season strong. His wins over Kirk Cousins’ Atlanta Falcons, on the road in Seattle, and over the Green Bay Packers created a quarterback controversy in Minnesota. Would the Vikings stick with the former third-overall pick who was producing for them and in his prime? Or would they continue with their plan of building McCarthy from the ground up?

But then Darnold’s ghosts reappeared in Detroit. His footwork lapsed, and he took too long to throw the ball, resulting in poor accuracy and nine sacks. The Rams eliminated them a week later, magnifying the amplitude of Minnesota’s offseason quarterback question.

Perhaps things have come full circle with Darnold’s poor afternoon in LA. Maybe it’s just a bad game or another mid-season lull. However, it might be that he can’t play from behind, or the Rams have exposed him again. Maybe Seattle is fortunate that they gave Darnold a front-loaded, three-year, $100 million contract.

Ultimately, the Vikings went with the devil they knew. They drafted J.J. McCarthy and saw the effort he put in while injured last year. They believed that what he did during training camp would translate to the field on Sundays.

McCarthy has looked like a franchise quarterback for a quarter in Chicago and most of the game in Detroit. However, he’s looked lost for much of his first season. His accuracy and decision-making haven’t fully translated.

Darnold’s ghosts resurfaced at the end of last season, so the Vikings committed to a demon who calls himself Nine. They’re hoping that going with the devil they know won’t come back to haunt them.