JJ McCarthy is ready for the big stage

The Vikings' QB talked about handling the pressure of his NFL debut on Wednesday

JJ McCarthy talks with the media on Wednesday

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By Matthew Coller

EAGAN — One year ago, JJ McCarthy was riding a scooter around TCO Performance Center as Sam Darnold prepared to play against the New York Giants in the Minnesota Vikings’ opener. On Wednesday, he was holding his first weekly press conference as QB1.

McCarthy’s debut is not just a year in the making, it is also on national television, takes place in his home state of Illinois and is against the No. 1 overall pick from his draft class. No pressure, kid.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell is well aware of the pomp and circumstance of the matchup. He wants his quarterback to keep his focus on the micro aspects of the scheme rather than looking around at the macro of the iconic stadium and Monday Night Football audience.

“We've tried to build a world where running the offense and playing quarterback is a collection of really small things,” O’Connell said. “Some would even consider them routine things. And can we do the routine things routinely?”

By routine things, O’Connell is talking about getting the play call relayed to his teammates and getting everyone lined up correctly. He means understanding his progressions and making the right decisions with the football. Do those things over and over and Chicago crowd will be quieted.

Another O’Connell message to McCarthy: It’s not a boxing match. The marquee will read McCarthy vs. Williams and you can bet the ESPN panel will spend most of its time on the two quarterbacks but McCarthy doesn’t have to fight the Chicago Bears by himself.

“He's definitely not going to be alone out there,” O’Connell said. “The coaching staff and myself are right there with him — maybe me too much sometimes in his ear…But I know those 10 guys in the huddle, regardless of who's in the game, those guys are excited for number nine to come in and call that first play.”

This isn’t the first time that McCarthy is playing in front of a big crowd either. He played his college ball in a place that they call “The Big House” and won the national championship in front of a TV audience that will be comparable to the one watching on Monday.

“It's different than the Eagan practice fields here and anything he's experienced, at least in the NFL, but I think he's got a lot of really good experience at the collegiate level in front of one hundred plus thousand people,” O’Connell said.

What McCarthy learned from his big-time college experience was that nerves are inevitable, it’s all about how he deals with the extra adrenaline. It won’t be his first time working his way through that.

“Playing in so many big games at Michigan, obviously it's a different level here, but just having those reps of those emotions that you feel and how you handle them and how you manage them,” McCarthy said. “This one, there's just pure excitement, pure confidence.”

As you might expect, the Vikings’ starting QB is getting advice from everywhere about his endeavor in Chicago. He talked with backup QB Carson Wentz about what it was like to play at Soldier Field at night. Running back Aaron Jones suggested that he lean on his supporting cast.

“Our job is to make your job easier,” Jones said. “So let us know how we can do our job to make your job easier. If there's any other way we can help, let us know. But he's ready for the moment. I'm excited to be able to go out there with him and get to see him start his first game and lead us.”

Jones said he learned over the summer about how McCarthy handles the type of chaos that they are going to see in Chicago by the way he acted in the huddle and relayed messages to his teammates.

“He remains calm at all times in the huddle,” Jones said. “Even if he can't hear something, you won't know he can't hear anything. He's always calm, cool, and collected in the huddle. He's very good at communicating as well, which is I feel like would separate some quarterbacks as well. Being able to communicate, especially in noisy environments…If you're changing the play, if you're changing the protection, we say that if all 11 are on the same page and we're wrong, you technically can't be wrong because all 11 [are doing the right thing].”

As far as the best advice McCarthy has gotten about taking his first NFL snaps, he said:

“The best advice I received was just ‘go be you,’” McCarthy said. “At the end of the day, it's just the confidence and belief in myself… that's going to be pivotal.”

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