JJ McCarthy’s Injury Could Derail His Future as Vikings QB
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be sidelined with an ankle injury, thrusting veteran Carson Wentz into the starting role ahead of a pivotal stretch of the season.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McCarthy will be out two to four weeks with a high ankle sprain. After missing his entire rookie year with a meniscus tear, McCarthy’s additional time off is a cause for concern, given he needs to see the field to develop.
“It’s concerning. He’s missed 18 games and played in two; at some point, young quarterbacks need to get on the field. This is an organization and a team [that’s] very good,” ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said. “They have entrusted the future of the team in his hands. He needs to be on the field to feel the speed of the pass rush, to feel the speed about [passing] windows in the NFL closing faster than college. Not going to overreact and hopefully this is a short-term thing, but the fact that he’s missed 18 games and played in two, that has to be concerning in the building.”
Carson Wentz Could Derail JJ McCarthy’s Development
How Wentz carries the Vikings, currently 1-1, in McCarthy’s absence will play a major role in when the 22-year-old may return.
If Wentz wins out, he may seize the starting reins of a team ready to win now for the rest of the season.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility, considering the Vikings passing game with McCarthy ranks 32nd in expected points added (EPA) — the offense as a whole ranks 31st.
McCarthy hasn’t gotten a fair shake, playing without his starting left tackle, second wide receiver and several other offensive contributors who got injured midgame in Week 2.
But it hasn’t looked good. He’s played one good quarter and struggled for the other seven.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell preached that the offense taking flight is going to take time, but the Vikings cannot afford to get out to a slow start, given the daunting divisional schedule late in the season.
“This is going to be a process for our team,” O’Connell said. “Our young quarterback is going to make some plays. He’s going to make some unbelievable throws. … And then, other times, he’s going to have an attempt and just miss something a little long, and we will go back and try to fix it.”
If Wentz cannot keep the team at or above .500, pivoting back to McCarthy will be an easy call. The 22-year-old will have plenty of runway to develop with the hopes of a late-season push for a wild-card spot.
However, if Wentz wins three or four games and the Vikings are on pace with the rest of the NFC contenders, it would be controversial to hand the keys back to McCarthy while he’s still on his learner’s permit.
Vikings’ Worst-Case Scenario With JJ McCarthy Revealed
If Wentz were to take the job and run with it, which we saw Sam Darnold do a year ago, McCarthy will end his second season in Minnesota with just two career starts.
That’s a serious concern as the Vikings would hope to have a more developed quarterback on a rookie-scale deal at this point in their timeline when they moved off Kirk Cousins.
McCarthy must see the field more once he returns from injury if he’s going to be fully prepared for a pivotal third season under center.
However, the margin of error will be increasingly obsolete as we enter the middle of the schedule.
This was the time for McCarthy to make mistakes, learn and get a feel for the game.
That developmental time now is deferred, either to the middle of the season — which would assume the Vikings are on the outside looking in at the playoff chase — or next year, if the Vikings thrive with Wentz.
Dobbins Gets the Rock - Broncos Coach Explains Lopsided RB Split
One of the reasons the Denver Broncos were able to get off to a great first-half start vs. the Indianapolis Colts was the commitment to and success of the run game. Just ask quarterback Bo Nix, who passed for three touchdowns through two quarters of play.
“We ran the ball well. Our O-line did really good," Nix said after the game when asked what worked well offensively in the first half. "Came out the game [with] three straight runs, ran it right at them, and I thought our backs ran the ball well. We were able to get first downs on the run game and that was really good to see. I think that just opened up a few other things on some of those longer drives. And when it looked like we were moving down the field, it was really smooth because of the run game.”
Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins set the tone early, busting off an 18-yard blast on the team's first offensive snap of the game. He would finish with 14 carries for 76 yards (5.4 avg) and a touchdown.
Behind Dobbins, Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey only garnered five carries, which weren't enough to get into a groove against the stiffer-than-expected Colts' rushing defense. Harvey picked up only eight yards rushing in Week 2, after picking up 70 on six carries in the season-opener, including a 50-yarder.
On Monday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton hosted a conference call with local press, and he was asked why Dobbins is getting such a higher touch share than the rookie second-rounder.
“I think sometimes there are certain tags. Harvey got some tougher run looks in the 11 or sub-personnel groupings," Payton said. "Dobbins had some real good runs for us, though. Quite naturally as one’s going, you feed him more."
O-Line Opening Holes for Dobbins
The Broncos' offensive line did a good job blocking for the team's 118 rushing yards on the road. That came on the heels of Denver's 151 rushing yards in the season-opener.
It hasn't been perfect upfront, but Payton likes what he's seen from his highly-paid offensive line.
"I was pleased overall with how we played as an offensive line. I thought we did a good job of creating space, creating movement," Payton said. "The opening series was going to be three runs in a row to get our first first down, and it happens on the first run. At that moment when you’re able to do that, you have more control of the game, and so that part of it was important.”
The Broncos seemed mostly in control of this game up until the fourth quarter, when a series of snafus and blunders led to a total collapse, and the Colts coming from behind to win 29-28. On Nix's fourth-quarter interception, the Broncos were on the Colts' 28-yard line nursing a 28-23 lead.
That Fateful Third Down Call
On a 3rd-&-3, instead of handing the ball to Dobbins, who, remember, averaged north of five yards per carry on the day, Payton called a passing play. Nix was pressured inside, making him unable to step into a throw deeper down the field to Courtland Sutton, and it sailed on him, getting picked off.
“I just missed," Nix said post-game.
The play-call decision combined with the turnover led to a six-point swing, taking a likely field goal (if not more) out of the equation for Denver, while the Colts drove down and kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive, narrowing the margin to two points. Why Payton didn't hand it off to Dobbins on that 3rd-&-3 we still don't know.
Hopefully, Payton will get to a point with this new-and-improved rushing attack where he won't have to write a note to himself or be reminded to call a run play. I get that Payton wants to do his part to ensure that Nix becomes a top "four or five" quarterback sooner rather than later, but he's still an inexperienced quarterback, NFL-wise, and a young signal-caller's best friend is a reliable run game.
The Broncos will have to extract what lessons there are to be learned from that bitter loss to the Colts and move on quickly, as the Los Angeles Chargers are next up on the schedule. That AFC West tilt will be played at SoFi Stadium in L.A.
