What to Look for from J.J. McCarthy on Saturday
On Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings kick off their preseason schedule against the Houston Texans. Danielle Hunter will be back at U.S. Bank Stadium, though he probably won’t factor into the game much. On the flip side, Kevin O’Connell is going to have J.J. McCarthy back under center in a game for the first time since he had a season-ending knee injury.
J.J. McCarthy will be back under center on Saturday against the Houston Texans. There are multiple keys for Minnesota Vikings fans to watch.
It remains to be seen how much the Vikings will expose McCarthy to. Typically, starters don’t play much in the preseason, and McCarthy will unquestionably have a level of jitters getting back out there. Against the Las Vegas Raiders last season, he threw 17 passes and put the ball in the end zone twice.
I’d certainly expect the exposure to be more limited this time around, but what should be the realistic takeaways for his lone action of the exhibition slate?
J.J. McCarthy Will Be in Living Color in the Preseason
The amount of touchdowns, passes completed, or score McCarthy puts up on Saturday should hold very little consequence. I’m most interested in seeing what the comfort level looks like, and just how settled he can be in the pocket.
There has been plenty of talk during training camp surrounding McCarthy’s struggles against the Vikings’ defense. That should be expected given the high expectations for the unit this season. Can McCarthy generate positive momentum against an opposing unit that he should be battle-tested for? How crisp are his passes with the receivers that he is developing a level of rapport with? What amount of action do the Vikings actually feel like putting him in front of?
Honestly, I want to see McCarthy take a sack as well. It didn’t appear as though he tore up his knee on a single play or down, but the ability to take contact and not be timid is something he’ll have to lean into. On the flip side, it would be nice to see him run as well. McCarthy is elusive, and while he’s not Michael Vick, the ability to escape the pocket is something that Minnesota is accounting for.
At the end of the day, the box score may be the first place to look, but it’s the last place to evaluate. McCarthy needs to show he is ready to step up and be the guy without any level of hesitation, as part of a fallout from the injury he suffered.
I have few doubts that he’ll fail the test, but this is his chance to prove it to everyone before the games start to count.
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