J.J. McCarthy Earns His First NFL Trophy
J.J. McCarthy made his NFL debut on Monday in a divisional clash versus the Chicago Bears. What looked like a nightmare performance turned into a dream in the fourth quarter for the young passer, and he guided his team to victory.
J.J. McCarthy Earns His First NFL Trophy
A couple of days later, everyone is still celebrating that contest, and the NFL just handed him his first accolade. McCarthy was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
In the fourth quarter alone, McCarthy gained over 100 total yards and scored three times.
Vikings PR revealed after the honors, “J.J. McCarthy is the 11th Viking since 1984 to win NFC Player of the Week honors in Week 1 and the third Vikings QB (Daunte Culpepper – 2004, Sam Bradford – 2017). He is the second Viking to win the honor following their NFL debut in Week 1 (K Blair Walsh – 2012).”
His total numbers certainly don’t warrant any accolades, with 143 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception, in what looks like a pretty boring stat line. The way it came together, however, deserved praise and universally got it.
Despite the early struggles, the defense kept the operation in the game, and McCarthy made the most of it. Even after the pick-six, he didn’t fall apart and spiral into a disastrous debut. Instead, he was lethal when it mattered most, and there was nothing Chicago Bears coordinator Dennis Allen could do about it.
Vikings.com writer Craig Peters noted, “One start, one dramatic comeback, one conference award for J.J. McCarthy. The second-year Vikings QB made his NFL debut for Minnesota on Monday. He withstood the emotions of playing at his hometown Chicago Bears, as well as throwing a pick six, to lead three consecutive touchdown drives in a 27-24 victory.”
Play-caller Kevin O’Connell called some fantastic plays down the stretch, and his student executed them to perfection. McCarthy is O’Connell’s fourth QB with Player of the Week honors, following Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and Josh Dobbs, which shows that he can get the most out of a quarterback in any given week.
Peters added, “In the final quarter at Soldier Field, McCarthy went 6-for-8 passing for 87 yards that included touchdowns of 13 yards to Justin Jefferson and 27 to Aaron Jones, Sr., compiling a passer rating of 149.5. McCarthy also showed his speed and a strategic run style, setting up a block by T.J. Hockenson during a 14-yard rushing touchdown.”
McCarthy also found his way into the history books, becoming the first player to score three touchdowns in the final period of his NFL debut and just the second to lead his team to a double-digit points comeback in the fourth quarter, following Steve Young.
The signal-caller will make his second career start versus the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, once again being featured in primetime. This time, he wants to start the way the previous game ended, rather than having to overcome the adversity of a big deficit.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.