Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s career didn’t get off to the sterling start that is honestly unrealistic for almost all young quarterbacks.
McCarthy’s development is going to be a process, and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was not coy in his assessment of a Week 4 matchup with the Vikings, admitting that he would have preferred to play McCarthy over backup Carson Wentz.
Likening McCarthy to Indianapolis Colts first-round pick Anthony Richardson, Tomlin admitted that, if he had his choice, he’d want to play a younger quarterback over a veteran backup.
“We were in a similar situation a year ago, we were playing in Indianapolis, and I commented to the guys, keep Richardson upright, don’t put [Joe] Flacco in the game. And Flacco ended up in the game,” Tomlin told reporters on Wednesday, September 24, recalling a 27-24 loss to the Colts after Flacco replaced an injured Richardson in the first quarter.
“I don’t necessarily view it as a negative thing for the Minnesota Vikings, at least in the short-term, that Carson is playing for them,” Tomlin added. “He’s a grizzly veteran. Oftentimes, particularly when you have a young, inexperienced quarterback, there’s some big-time benefits of playing with a vet backup.
“The veteran guy oftentimes does the intangible components of the job very well. They oftentimes are able to carry more schematic responsibility and so forth at the line of scrimmage.”
Mike Tomlin Hits on Tough Reality Facing Vikings, JJ McCarthy
While Tomlin’s comments were not harsh of McCarthy, they did touch on the tough reality the Vikings are facing.
Still getting up to NFL speed, McCarthy struggled to run a productive offense through all but one quarter of his first two games.
The highs were there: a three-touchdown outburst in the fourth quarter to clinch a Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears; but there were also many lows that led to the Vikings offense rankings 31st in total yards and 32nd in expected points added through McCarthy’s first two starts.
McCarthy was playing without Christian Darrisaw and Jordan Addison, but to what affect their presence would elevate McCarthy’s play to even a league average starter is debatable.
McCarthy’s time to throw this season is 3.08 seconds compared to Wentz’s 2.55 seconds he put up in an efficient outing over the Cincinnati Bengals. Wentz was accurate, completing 14 of 20 (70%) of his pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
Wentz’s experience and decisiveness allowed the offense to carry him to a strong performance, which are both traits that McCarthy can develop with more playing time.
J.J. McCarthy’s Readiness to Return Hinges on His Ability to Protect Himself
Another aspect of McCarthy’s game that will need to improve is his pocket awareness.
He was facing historically high pressure rates with a patchwork offensive line, but that doesn’t mean that pressure should result in a sack. McCarthy took nine sacks through two weeks and suffered a high ankle sprain as a result.
High-value draft picks like Trey Lance and Richardson failed to develop because they spent so much time injured.
McCarthy will have to prove he can not only run the offense but also protect himself and trim down his league-high 18.0% sack rate once he returns if he’s going to have staying power under center this season.
