With Just 3 Words, Kevin O’Connell Says a Ton
Kevin O’Connell is a believer in J.J. McCarthy. Part of a recent answer from the head coach reconfirmed as much.
O’Connell was chatting with the Minnesota media after the Vikings’ 20-10 victory over the Texans. Per the top coach, McCarthy found success not just because of being able to operate the offense but also due to being able to play “above the scheme.”
Kevin O’Connell Offered a Great Answer on J.J. McCarthy
Turn back the clock to Kirk Cousins, someone who is no stranger to criticisms about not being able to rise above the scheme.
Essentially, Cousins is excellent when it comes to following the rules. Cousins’ pre-snap work was strong — he’s an intelligent, hard-working guy — and his accuracy has always been excellent. The play asks for a deep shot? Good chance the well-paid passer executes at a high level. Want him to toss a screen, find someone on an intermediate crossing route, or jump into hurry-up? No problem, so long as things are proceeding as they should.
The issue occurs when things start to breakdown around him. Too often, Cousins crumbled, such as the infamous throw to T.J. Hockenson on 4th Down versus the Giants.
One wonders if J.J. McCarthy is going to be the one who is different, a quarterback who can summon that intangible it-factor when it’s needed. O’Connell didn’t get into the all-important moments that will someday come for McCarthy, but the head coach did hint at what the young fella is capable of doing.
“There’s going to be some plays,” O’Connell explained, “where guys gotta rise up and make some plays maybe above the scheme. And he did that a couple times, once with his legs.” Not too long afterwards, the Vikings’ head coach praised McCarthy’s ability to lead a drive that ended in points while drawing attention to the amount of plays.
Elsewhere in his answer, Kevin O’Connell noted that his young QB1 “did a really, really nice job” of managing all that comes with being on an NFL football field as a quarterback: getting the play call, communicating with teammates in the huddle, assessing the defense pre-snap, and so on.
The former Wolverine and current Viking finished 4/7 for 30 yards. So, too, was there the run that O’Connell mentioned, one that arrived on 4th Down. McCarthy’s 8 yards resulted in a 1st Down.
While at training camp, I had the chance to ask Kevin O’Connell about when J.J. McCarthy knows when to turn on the jets. Put differently, how does the young passer know when it’s time to abandon passing the ball in favor of running?
O’Connell wants his quarterback to be “exhausting the progressions” – a football way of saying that McCarthy needs to ensure that he looks to see if any of his available receivers are open. Basically, throw the ball when there’s an opportunity to throw the ball. If, however, that option closes, then use his excellent athleticism to get a fresh set of downs.
Getting the new downs when things breakdown brings us back around to the central idea: being capable of making plays “above the scheme.”
Every play is going to have a specific design and purpose, a desired outcome that an ideal world would see come to fruition. The NFL, of course, is often a spot where the desired outcome — the ideal end result of a play — doesn’t materialize. Just go back to the aforementioned Kirk Cousins disaster from the 2022 season. With pressure coming right up the middle, Cousins made the wrong call, throwing short of the sticks to a tight end who was well covered. In a split second, Cousins made a brutal decision, failing to play above the scheme.
The grand hope is that J.J. McCarthy won’t do likewise. What the Vikings want to see moving forward involves their highly-picked passer turning into a difference maker in those moments as someone who has a bit of magic in him.
The next test for Kevin O’Connell, J.J. McCarthy, and the Vikings is going to be some shared practices with the visiting New England Patriots. On Saturday, the team’s second preseason game will take place.
McCarthy isn’t expected to play.
