J.J. McCarthy Passed the Test on Saturday
The Minnesota Vikings took down the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday. They move to 1-0 in the preseason, and truthfully, none of that matters. Really, the only thing that should be a talking point is J.J. McCarthy passing the test.
In the first preseason game, J.J. McCarthy passed the most critical test yet as he readies to take over as Minnesota Vikings quarterback.
No, I really don’t care that the Vikings’ new signal caller was 4-of-7 for 30 yards. I don’t mind that his lone drive resulted in a field goal rather than a touchdown. Of course, he missed the throw to Lucky Jackson when he overshot the wide receiver. Again, though, he passed the test?
What test was that? Well, the bar was low, but it was important. He was available, out there, and left healthy. Really, that’s what anyone should have wanted to see.
Beyond just that, though, McCarthy looked comfortable in the pocket despite missing some of his starters up front. Most notably was his eight-yard scamper on fourth down in which he moved the chains and showed the athleticism that Minnesota has not had at quarterback in ages.
J.J. McCarthy Impresses Onlookers for the Vikings in Preseason Game No. 1
It has been a long time since McCarthy last played football in front of a large crowd in a game scenario. He did that on Saturday, and he didn’t wilt. He looked the part of a real NFL quarterback, and nothing about his season-ending knee injury from last summer appeared to hold him back.
That’s the test he needed to pass.
From here, it’s about execution and development. Minnesota is not expected to play McCarthy during the rest of the preseason schedule. That’s an understandable and straightforward decision. This week of practice will be one to monitor and scrutinize, as the signal caller will go against a defense other than their own.
McCarthy has seen what is expected to be among the best units in the game for weeks now. He’ll get Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots on the opposite side of the ball this week at TCO Performance Center, and that gives him a chance to learn and grow. Rather than competing in the exhibition on Saturday, he can utilize the entire week to continue acclimating at the highest level.
We are still a couple of weeks away from the Minnesota Vikings kicking off the regular season in Chicago against the Bears. Kevin O’Connell will continue to ready his quarterback for that moment, and McCarthy will do his part as well.
For now, though, he passed the test.
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