J.J. McCarthy’s greatest recruit happened off the field, as that same Saturday night, Michigan’s quarterback found himself on the field. A controversial touchdown celebration overshadowed all of that. The elusive young quarterback took an incredible goal-line bootleg in from 5 yards out for the score in the second quarter. He celebrated post-game with his own version of the “Griddy” shuffle, popularized by Justin Jefferson. Rumors leading up to the celebration made for a jittery fan base. It didn’t land well with everybody – specifically, Minnesota Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell.
Overlooking the (curiously celebrated) controversy around his first touchdown celebration, J.J. McCarthy put together one of his best games to date. He threw for a career-high 250 yards, and he was remarkably accurate and calm in the pocket, showing off some impressive escapability too. The Cowboys’ defense failed to sack him throughout the game, placing McCarthy’s pass protection at a high level. His pressure rate was only 30.8%, one of the lowest for any game this season.
Following his prancing touchdown celebration, McCarthy showed impressive mental fortitude and rattled off eight straight completions on his next ten attempts. He found Jalen Nailor behind the defense for a gorgeous 20-yard touchdown bomb. Then, he followed that up with a brilliant 58-yard dime to Jordan Addison. McCarthy showed his ability to spread the ball around, hitting T.J. Hockenson for bombs of 29 yards and 18 yards.
The young quarterback’s poise in controlling himself after such an extravagant end zone jig speaks to his cool-headedness, maturity, and playmaking prowess on the field. Coaches and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how he responds and continues to develop over the course of the season. What they really want to know is whether he can keep up his brilliant campaign while handling the spotlight and its attendant expectations.
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