The Vikings’ Starting Quarterback Had an Arm Issue. What About After Week 1?
Concerns about velocity, or a lack thereof, were overblown. The Vikings’ starting quarterback can sling it (the word “zip” got attached to Mr. McCarthy a time or two during the offseason).
Slowly, the conversation in the spring and summer started to shift. The fastball looks good. Can J.J. McCarthy add other pitches to his repertoire? After all, football’s most important position is about more than just being able to spin it, as important as that can be. The Week 1 game offered some evidence of improvement.
The Vikings’ Starting Quarterback & The Arm Issue
Vikings quarterback coach Josh McCown knows a thing or two about the position.
Drafted at No. 81 in the 2002 NFL Draft, Joshua Treadwell McCown found employment in the NFL until 2019. Stunning stuff, right? No one will mistake the 46-year-old coach for Tom Brady but he clearly offered some value to QB-hungry teams. Listen up when he says something about how to play quarterback, especially when it comes to his main pupil.
Previously, Coach McCown compared McCarthy to a pitcher in baseball, explaining that developing a second and third pitch is vital for the Vikings’ starting quarterback. Just as an MLB pitcher needs more than just miles per hour, so, too, does an NFL QB require an ability to demonstrate the capacity to pull off different throws.
Consider how McCown discussed the issue: “I think that’s the separator, right? I believe in Major League Baseball the guys that are starters and elite pitchers are guys that can throw more than one pitch. You have to develop a second or third pitch. And for us it’s kind of the same thing.”
There were then some further reflections, ones that compliment the passer for his ability to get velocity behind the pigskin while nevertheless acknowledging the need for growth.
“He’s got a lot of arm,” McCown said of McCarthy, “he can get on the ball and really rip it when he wants to.” The needed growth has been to develop the other throws: “It’s just developing the other throws that are needed in NFL football. Whether it’s layering a ball here or there, touching up a go ball, different things like that.”
Now, go ahead and ponder the assessment about J.J. McCarthy while considering the pair of touchdown passes from the Vikings’ starting quarterback. See the difference?
In both instances, McCarthy needs to find a way to get the football to his pass catcher with a pair of Bears defenders converging. The notable difference rests in how he does so.
The Justin Jefferson touchdown pass was a bullet, fit snugly into the receiver’s mitts with no shortage of zip on the ball. The Aaron Jones touchdown pass was more about dropping the ball into his running back’s mitts, layering the throw over the defenders trying to squeeze Jones out of the play.
In each instance, McCarthy was operating out of shotgun. He was kept clean, given time to read the defense (credit to the large lads up front). And, for whatever it’s worth, Tim Jones was out there both times, feigning a block before releasing on a route in the shallow area of the field. Details to monitor.
In the end, J.J. McCarthy proved capable of doing what was needed to pull off the wild win over Chicago. He threw a fastball for a score, a change up for a score, and even scampered for a score.
His debut NFL game finished off with modest numbers that nevertheless impress due to the manner in which they arrived. McCarthy finished 13/20 for 143 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He added 25 rushing yards onto the total with a rushing touchdown.
Look for the kid QB to be similarly versatile in Week 2 as he seeks to push his Vikings toward a 2-0 start.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
