Vikings QB JJ McCarthy Doesn’t Hold Back After Facing Fan Backlash
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy would be the first to tell you that growth isn’t a linear journey — but Week 11 against the Chicago Bears was a new low for the 22-year-old quarterback.
McCarthy struggled with his accuracy for a second straight week in an eventual 19-17 loss to the Bears. He completed 16 of 32 passes for 150 yards, a touchdown and a pair of interceptions late in the first half.
After sailing a pass over the head of Justin Jefferson in the third quarter, fans had reached their limit. McCarthy was met with a downpour of boos coming from fans in attendance at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Asked what went through his mind when he heard boos from fans in his home stadium, McCarthy admitted that they were not unwarranted.
“We got the greatest fans in the world, they expect a lot more out of us, rightfully so,” McCarthy said after the game. “It’s just a reminder to us that we better get going, better figure this out.”
#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy on hearing boo’s from the fans:
“We got the greatest fans in the world, they expect a lot more out of us. Rightfully so. It’s just a reminder to us that we better get going, better figure this out.”
JJ McCarthy Takes Blame for Worst Start as a Viking
GettyVikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy responded to what was the worst game of his young career.
Falling to 2-3 as a starter, McCarthy tallied his worst passer rating of his career of just 47.4.
A 10-play, 85-yard drive late in the game, capped by a 15-yard touchdown connection with Jordan Addison, salvaged what was largely an awful day for McCarthy.
However, that drive gave the Vikings the lead with 50 seconds left in regulation before the Bears returned the ball across midfield and sealed the game with a field goal as time expired.
While things seemed to click for McCarthy and the offense on that final drive, it’s not enough when seven of the eight other drives in the final three quarters of the game did not surpass two minutes of possession.
McCarthy took full blame for the struggles in his postgame news conference.
“I need to do a better job with my decision-making, accuracy — it needs to be better — and the overall execution of the offense. I need to be better on doing my job at a higher level,” he said.
‘We’re Sick of Losing:’ JJ McCarthy Gets Honest After Bears Loss
The Vikings, currently 4-6, have little margin of error if they want to play meaningful games in December.
McCarthy, who went 27-1 in college and had lost just three games since high school entering this season, addressed his handling of the unfamiliar feeling of losing through his first five games in the NFL.
“Adversity is one of the greatest things for growth. It can separate teams or bring them tighter together. This team is being brought tighter together,” he said, adding that the desire to succeed has helped the Vikings push past licking their wounds after a loss.
“We’re just sick of losing, we want wins every single week, and we’re just going to do everything we can to get those,” McCarthy added. “Adversity is inevitable in this league, I understand that coming into it. It’s just about how you respond.”
Broncos Urged to Unlock WR Pat Bryant With Bigger Role
The Denver Broncos took a lot of flak for selecting wide receiver Pat Bryant in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Despite that ridicule, the pick has worked out this season, for the most part, and it has actually gotten to a point where the Broncos need to find a way to get Bryant even more involved in the offense.
Entering the Week 11 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bryant had 13 catches on 19 targets, with one drop. What makes it so clear he needs to be a bigger part of the offense is that all 13 of his catches have gone for a first down or touchdown, and that continued against the Chiefs, as the Broncos
In the first half, Bryant had three catches on four targets, and all were for a first down. In the second half, he added two more catches on six targets, including his first career reception that wasn’t for a first down or touchdown.
Expanding Bryant's Role
Now, Bryant has a role on offense: bringing blocking to the running game. He had 294 total snaps entering the Chiefs game, 110 as a run blocker, and many snaps as a blocker on screens. That ability earned him more playing time, but not a bigger role in the passing game.
With Bryant's reliability as a blocker and receiver, Sean Payton and Bo Nix need to find a way to keep him more involved in the passing game. Bryant's role has grown over the past few weeks, and it should continue to increase.
Bryant finished with a team-high five receptions for 82 yards vs. the Chiefs. His long of 48 yards helped set up a score.
It can be challenging to do as the Broncos' receivers all fill different niches, except Courtland Sutton, and you don’t want to diminish those other roles. Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin bring the explosive play potential with their speed, and you don’t want that to take a back seat.
However, Franklin has had issues with drops. He had six entering the game against the Chiefs and added two more in the first half.
Franklin also showed his value on third down, catching a pass with a great get-off that helped lead to a touchdown on the drive and again on the Broncos' game-winning field goal drive.
Demonstrated Receiving Value
Over the past few weeks, Bryant has consistently demonstrated his reliability as a receiver, giving the offense a new set of downs. Now, some of that is the sample size. It won’t always stay near 100% in first-down or touchdown rate, but it points to his strengths and reliability when plays are needed.
A lot of those catches are by route design, but Bryant has also shown a solid ability to create after the catch, though again on a limited sample size. It's hard to use him as the target on a screen because of his blocking ability, but that could be a way to catch a defense sleeping.
Bryant is big and has surprising speed and quickness, though his 40-yard dash at the Combine didn't show it, and he can take a screen and make something happen. It shouldn’t be once every game, or once every other game, but once every few games? Those calls could be enough to generate a big play for the Broncos.
Denver actually dialed this up in the second half, setting the offense ahead of the sticks as the Chiefs clearly weren't expecting Bryant to be the target. This is precisely what Denver should look at doing once every few games.
The Takeaway
Bryant has been developing into a good weapon for the Broncos' offense, and there is still plenty of room for more growth. For a pick that got as much blowback as it did, he is proving Denver was right to take him so far in his very young career.
