Vikings Announce Starting QB for Thursday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell ended the short QB1 mystery on Tuesday, telling reporters that he would roll with Carson Wentz as his starting quarterback for Thursday Night Football, marking Wentz’s fifth consecutive start.
With the Los Angeles Chargers waiting, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stepped up to a microphone Tuesday and named his starting quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy, the team’s usual QB1, will eye Week 9 for his return and serve as the emergency quarterback at SoFi Stadium, with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer holding down the fort at QB2.
It’s Carson Wentz for the Vikings in Week 8
Wentz gets one more hurrah as the purple starter.
O’Connell Tabs Wentz for TNF
Get ready for more Wentz — that’s the takeaway from Tuesday’s press conference.
NBC Sports’ Myles Simmons wrote, “Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced in his Tuesday press conference that Carson Wentz will make another start at quarterback this week as the team plays the Chargers in Los Angeles.”
“McCarthy went through a workout on Tuesday morning to gauge the health of the sprained ankle that has kept him sidelined for Minnesota’s last four games.”
Wentz has helped guide the purple team to a 2-2 record on his watch, and with most expecting McCarthy back in Week 9, Thursday Night Football could be Wentz’s personal rubber match. There’s a chance it’s his final appearance in a Vikings game — ever.
A Chance to Rebound after a Rocky Week 7
Wentz performed miserably against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday.
He tossed two game-changing interceptions, missed open pass-catchers for first downs and touchdowns, and chose bizarre intentional grounding strategies that were unbecoming of a veteran quarterback.
Thankfully, the NFL is a week-to-week league, and for Wentz’s sake, he can bounce back ultra-quickly, with TNF just around the bend. Wentz’s struggles were so vivid that many fans wondered if Minnesota dared trotting him out one more time, speculating that the Vikings could reinsert a banged-up McCarthy into the lineup instead or try Max Brosmer, the rookie.
Minnesota said no thanks to both alternatives.
Brosmer Once Again One Snap Away from the Big Time
It’s worth noting that Brosmer — again — will be one snap or injury away from the spotlight.
Brosmer has served as the backup quarterback since Week 3, meaning if Wentz were benched for performance — some onlookers called for that last Sunday — or suffered an injury, Brosmer would see meaningful action.
To date, Brosmer, who surprised fans with preseason poise and talent, has played a bit in garbage time against the Cincinnati Bengals last month and a kneeldown in London before the end of the 1st half.
Fans Circle November 2nd for McCarthy’s Return
O’Connell offered another hint: McCarthy might’ve played this week if the game were on Sunday, not Thursday.
“J.J., the medical staff, myself — we’re all kind of encouraged about where he’s at and the progress he’s making. But he’s just not there. And if this were a Sunday game, maybe it would be a little bit different story, and we could push it throughout the week and see where he’s at toward the end of the week,” he told reporters.
“So, we wanted to have a plan at the quarterback position, and it’ll be very similar to last week: Carson will start, Max Brosmer will be the backup, and J.J. will be available in the case of emergency as the third. And, like I said, encouraged about where he’s at and very much looking forward to continuing his progression and hopefully having a chance to go next week.”
That’s an almighty clue that McCarthy is close — probably ready for his QB1 job in 12 days against the Detroit Lions.
NFL.com on Wentz
Kevin Patra opined on Wentz back in at QB1, “In the interim, Wentz, who is also dealing with a shoulder injury, has gone 2-2 as the Vikings starter, including Sunday’s 28-22 loss to Philadelphia. Against his former team, Wentz went 26-of-42 passing for 313 yards and two interceptions.”
“He particularly struggled in the first half under pressure, throwing a pick-six, a wayward backward pass out of bounds for an 8-yard loss and another interception. The veteran signal-caller will get another chance to get back in the win column on Thursday against the 4-3 Chargers as the Vikings attempt to stay in striking distance in a heated NFC playoff race.”
Wentz ranks 35th of 37 qualifying quarterbacks after seven weeks, according to Pro Football Focus, with a lousy 55.8 grade.
“The Minnesota run game could get a boost soon, as the Vikings open the 21-day window for running back Aaron Jones, who has been on IR since Week 3 due to a hamstring injury. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero noted that Jones could potentially return as early as Thursday night,” Patra concluded.
The Chargers are favored to defeat the Vikings by 3.5 points this week. Wentz has faced the Chargers once in his career, as a member of the Eagles, and Philadelphia prevailed.
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