What Kevin O'Connell wants to see next from JJ McCarthy
The head coach said that McCarthy will return to practice and provided insight into the next steps
By Matthew Coller
EAGAN — The most pressing question in Minnesota Vikings land is whether quarterback JJ McCarthy will be back under center when the team hits the field again at US Bank Stadium on October 19.
While everyone wants that answer right now, head coach Kevin O’Connell has 13 days to see his young quarterback in practice before he has to decide whether McCarthy or veteran backup Carson Wentz will be calling the signals versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Monday, O’Connell went into depth about what he wants to see from McCarthy, who went 1-1 in his two starts with a 58.5% completion percentage, 301 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions before missing the last three games due to a high ankle sprain. The head coach focused on things that Wentz has done well within the offense that he’d like to see McCarthy replicate.
“He’s had some real moments of growth through this time,” O’Connell said. “I think watching the way Carson’s kind of gone through progressions quickly, just the value of putting the ball in play, even when it’s not your first progression, even when it’s not the most exciting completion of all time.”
In his first two career starts, McCarthy struggled to get rid of the ball quickly, ranking fifth in the NFL in terms of slowest time from snap to throw (and the four ahead of him are all running QBs).
O’Connell used an example of a play that Wentz made toward the end of the game that proved to be a key first down gain. It wasn’t flashy or complicated but it moved the sticks.
“You’re getting to TJ [Hockenson] off of a little nudge and a protection to help here or there and TJ is a check down element… he had one on the touchdown drive at the end where he caught just a simple ball over the middle and went for 14 with some really good run after catch,” O’Connell said. “I think he’s kind of taken a lot of that, of just watching it closely and my dialogue with him.”
The Vikings’ offense has been described many times by O’Connell as being about “rhythm and timing,” meaning that the first-time starting QB has to be able to match up his footwork and release with the routes. We have seen often during the last three weeks times where Wentz is tossing a ball in the direction of Justin Jefferson well before the superstar receiver came out of the break in his route. That’s why it’s important that O’Connell sees the key technical parts of the offense look sharp in his return to practice.
“The most critical part is going to be technique and fundamentals of playing the position the way he worked so hard to build up throughout the spring and the summer, getting him back into the mandatory nature of certain things from a fundamental standpoint that will only help him perform at a high level,” O’Connell said.
As it pertains to his actual health, KOC and the staff will be monitoring McCarthy’s recovery from his high-ankle sprain.
“I think it’s going to be more about the physical side of his lower body mechanics and then just trying to put together a game plan for him throughout the practices of how much can he do, what’s the soreness level coming out of practices to be able to try to have the most consistent level of a ramp up we can with him,” O’Connell said.
KOC noted that McCarthy was going to be at TCO Performance Center working throughout this week despite the team being off this weekend with the bye week.
“We’ll be able to get him some extensive work, you know, kind of as a lead in to next week,” O’Connell said. “And then I anticipate his workload building up. We’re going to really take advantage of that bonus Monday.”
Wentz’s own health is going to be a question for the Vikings as well. He left the game briefly with a shoulder injury before returning to lead a game-winning drive against the Browns.
“He’s still getting further evaluation, but he’s pretty sore in that left shoulder,” O’Connell said. “So that will be something that we’ll be taking a look at throughout this week.”
What do we make of O’Connell’s comments?
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