Vikings Finally Discovered the Blueprint
His first six games were laughably bad. J.J. McCarthy turned into a social media meme and was on the wrong end of various graphics and statistics that featured historically bad numbers. In his seventh game, it seemed to finally click and the sophomore had some success, logging three passing touchdowns and zero interceptions (for the first time in his career).
Vikings Finally Discovered the Blueprint
The Vikings changed some things on offense. Last week, head coach Kevin O’Connell noted that he wants to simplify the offense to make life easier for his inexperienced passer. He also announced that the new goal was to focus on decision-making and letting the work on mechanics rest for a while.
The sample size is tiny, but so far, so good.
It’s a shame it took the Vikings until December to recognize the strengths of their 2024 tenth overall pick. In college, he was famously quarterbacking a run-first offense, earning him the nickname “handoff merchant.” Michigan’s offense ran through running back Blake Corum, while McCarthy was asked to deliver a handful of third-down passes and play-action shots.
That worked so well that he lost only one game in his two seasons as a starter, in the playoffs against TCU. The Wolverines won the chip in his final year in college.
McCarthy wasn’t asked to learn complicated pass plays, and he didn’t have to throw the ball 40 or 50 times. In his 2023 season, McCarthy averaged about 22 pass attempts per game. On Sunday, he attempted 23, completing 16 of those for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
On the ground, meanwhile, the Vikings deployed running backs Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Zavier Scott a total of 28 times for 147 yards. Of course, leading throughout the game helped O’Connell stick with the rushing attack, but that should be a significant part of the offense going forward.
Michigan also featured a strong defense. The Vikings certainly have a decent unit on that side of the ball, but the struggling offense throughout the year has limited their impact. Just last week against Sam Darnold’s Seahawks, the Vikings held that offense in check. The Seahawks’ explosive offense scored 19 points, despite starting with good field position several times. Max Brosmer just gifted them the ball all game long. Yet, the club lost by 26.
Furthermore, the Vikings have struggled to sustain drives. Brian Flores’ squad was regularly getting tired as the game went on, with all the time on the field. They undoubtedly kept the Vikes in some games they had no business being in, given the offensive output.
The blueprint is simple. Running the ball should be considered the focal point of the offense until McCarthy can operate the entire playbook without any training wheels. Controlling the clock on the ground and having McCarthy throw it 20 or 25 times is the way to go. Sunday’s 19-play, 12-minute drive should be the prototype. Folks don’t like the “game-manager” label, but it’s absolutely what McCarthy should be in the 2025 season.
McCarthy has four more games to prove that he can be The Guy for the Vikings. In Week 15, he’ll return to national television, facing the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.