It’s becoming increasingly harder for J.J. McCarthy, Michigan’s breakout young star of a quarterback, to get in a groove. More importantly, it sows doubt about the team’s potential for success this season. After bruising his right hand in Week 10, McCarthy began wearing protective padding. This change likely affected his precision and speed in games. Now, as the Vikings move deeper into their first season under a new regime, McCarthy’s play has turned into a source of concern for fans and analysts alike.
In one recent nonconference game, McCarthy’s rate of off-target throws soared to an outlandish 32%. This number is a testament to the issues he has dealt with in establishing a serious rapport with his receivers in the passing game. In spite of these challenges, there were signs of progress peeking through. Perhaps most important of all, in the fourth quarter, he had 10 pass attempts, completed 6 of them, for 76 yards. He had one incompletion, showing what he can do when he’s on fire.
McCarthy’s overall performance remains inconsistent. He’d only connected on 10 of 22 attempts for 74 yards and two picks as the fourth quarter approached. As he went through the game, it was evident how tormented he was. He shanked a potentially game-changing third-quarter touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson, which led him to run off the field in frustration. Those are the three McCarthy sailed over Jefferson’s head. The other time he threw the ball at Addison’s knees, which magnified his issues with even the simplest of throws.
To make matters worse, once he attempted throws that traveled 10 or more yards past the line of scrimmage, Wilson’s accuracy plummeted. He finished only 4/16 passing with 76 yards, one TD and two picks to show for it. Despite leading the Vikings on an impressive 85-yard drive that briefly gave them a one-point lead in the final minute, McCarthy’s season-long streaks of inaccuracy intensified during this particular outing.
Jordan Addison, McCarthy’s future first-round target, was the first to admit how difficult it is to play in a league this hard. “It’s a tough league to win. So I just think a lot of it’s on the supporting cast around him to help make this thing go,” Addison said. This perception is just one sign of how much of the blame for the quarterback’s struggles—particularly of late—isn’t belonging to him alone as the team moves forward.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been vocal about McCarthy’s development. He stressed taking the added step of considering what’s best for the rookie QB while doing what’s best for the team at large. O’Connell reiterated the need to focus on what’s best for the young QB. He stressed the importance of looking at the complete offense and the entire team when analyzing McCarthy’s offense and future.
As the pressure builds, McCarthy’s status as a player’s coach has been put to the test. Jefferson told us he’s focused on making McCarthy a better place. As he more boldly proclaimed, “I’ve got to get headfirst into leading us toward the direction of winning, of being where it needs to be.” I’ll take J.J. out socially so he will be able to spend more time with me. I want to build a good relationship with him, and that’s what matters most.
While he has shown some flashes McCarthy has yet to do anything impressive in the five starts so far. His frenetic pocket movement and/or great ball velocity have resulted in plenty of timing issues. Consequently, his wide receivers have dropped a whopping 11 passes—including two on Addison’s behalf. That’s adorable, but given the stakes, McCarthy will need to do better than that. Even the easiest throws he can’t stick, and he fails to see open receivers.
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