Ted Schwerzler: J.J. McCarthy’s Dance Highlights a Symptom of Bigger Problem
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. It was an impressive performance by the whole team. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy didn’t wilt in prime time, and he actually put up one of his best statistical performances. Still, though, he found a way to fall flat.
McCarthy’s performance against the Cowboys was mostly steady, yet the reaction to his celebration revealed how quickly moments can overshadow execution when a young quarterback is still defining his on-field identity.
It was going to take a strong outing from McCarthy to knock off the Cowboys. Although they aren’t a juggernaut, their 6-5-1 record still had them in the hunt. Quarterback Dak Prescott can sling it, and he has plenty of weapons at his disposal. When the dust settled, though, it was McCarthy and the Vikings leaving with a victory.
Why McCarthy’s Moment in Dallas Drew So Much Attention
The most surprising play of the night came on a fake handoff. McCarthy fooled the defense, the camera operator, and plenty within the stadium, too. The well-executed pull left him a clear path to waltz into the end zone. Except he didn’t waltz. He didn’t run either. He hit the Griddy.
Postgame head coach Kevin O’Connell wasn’t amused. In fact, McCarthy knew he wouldn’t be. His coach and teammates had told him not to do the move when running the play in practice. That didn’t land for the 22-year-old.
Self-awareness doesn’t appear to be McCarthy’s thing. He has missed six games this year due to injury, and has just an even 11/11 TD/INT while completing 56.8% of his passes. To say he’s been anywhere close to good would be a reach. He also has tanked teammate Justin Jefferson’s career yardage totals, and the man who made the move popular has been able to break it out just twice on touchdowns this season.
The Vikings have very little to play for the rest of the way. At 6-8, they have been eliminated from the playoffs and were unofficially out of it for some time. McCarthy needs to show he can be a leader and develop into a competent player the rest of the way, but that also comes with expectations.
It’s one thing to suggest that, at 22 years old, he’s not a fully developed player from a skill set perspective. It’s another to worry about the development of his frontal lobe and the possible lack of maturity. O’Connell was clearly tired of his alter ego shtick earlier, and decisions like the one he made Sunday night aren’t going to put him in a better standing either.
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