The Minnesota Vikings have some serious obstacles to navigate as they enter week six of the 2023 NFL season. Much of the attention is on redshirt freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Kevin Seifert, a veteran sports journalist, has covered the National Football League for more than 20 years. In his most recent examination, he zeroes in on the most difficult part of the team. Seifert has been a national staff writer for ESPN since 2008. Prior to that, he covered the beat for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times, giving his perceptive analysis on key with the Vikings’ new partnership promise.
The Vikings’ struggles were evident last week. The trade of star player Justin Jefferson had him not talking ahead of the deadline. His expression remained stoic as he addressed reporters, indicating a deep frustration within the team. Jefferson summed up the mood succinctly when he remarked, “It’s frustrating to be up here and say the same things every single week.”
The Vikings have quickly put themselves in an untenable position, with Jefferson’s griping becoming a chorus across the locker room. A large part of the blame for this is on the shoulders of J.J. McCarthy, who has been underwhelming. McCarthy is No. 66 in passing yards, with an average of 154.8 yards passing per game. His completion percentage has been in the cellar, as he’s ranked No. 67 nationally in completion percentage at 54.1%. Indeed, McCarthy ranks No. 69 in interceptions if you limit the subject to just his first six starts. Yet, this insane statistic underscores the unique challenges he’s up against on the field.
Kevin O’Connell, head coach of the Vikings, did his best to take the heat off McCarthy. He accomplished that by debuting one of the most conservative game plans of his entire tenure. Despite these efforts, McCarthy’s statistics remain troubling. He was sitting awkwardly with a QBR of just 24.9 after six starts. During that stretch, he threw both of his interceptions and took four of his five sacks on just 13 dropbacks. During this stretch, he only was able to get by with an average of five successful passes worth 25 yards.
His Vikings teammate and safety Joshua Metellus took to McCarthy’s defense during recent blowback for a perceived deterioration of his performance. Citing the visible blunders, he admitted that the errors can’t be blamed on just McCarthy himself. And he said that working together is key. If you’re not operating as a complete unit and having each other’s back, that’s when those quarterbacks get hung out to dry,” he said. In terms of his ability to grow and develop? We’re talking about a guy that has, what? Seven starts? Six starts? I think he’s playing really well. I believe this now, but so grateful to have that wrong as he’s going to continue to improve. And because I know deep down what kind of guy he is.
From inside the Vikings organization, frustrations are mounting. They are looking for real answers to make up for a season full of false starts and disappointment. Each week it’s obvious that we need to work on McCarthy’s growth. Keeping these priorities in the forefront will be key to the team’s success as we progress.
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