J.J. McCarthy’s Week 11 performance led to a series of reactions from the underwhelmed Vikings fans. After a 3rd and 7th miscue to Justin Jefferson, the crowd started booing, as it proved to be an expensive mistake. The criticism spiralled after a Vikings legend took notice and questioned FS1 analyst Emmanuel Acho’s praise of McCarthy. 

“I was asked to remove the letter from social media, but that does not diminish from my apology to Cris Carter & the Vikings fanbase,” Greg Holcomb wrote on X.

Greg Holcomb, J.J. McCarthy’s longtime personal coach, quietly removed the public apology he made to Minnesota Vikings legend Cris Carter on social media. Holcomb’s original note took ownership of his words. He admitted he let his emotions run wild and that his language fell far short of his own standards. He argued he was defending McCarthy, someone he treats like a son.  

But soon after posting, Holcomb scrapped the apology but maintained the sincerity of his regret.

Holcomb has trained McCarthy since his teenage years. That deep bond helps explain why he leapt to defend McCarthy so aggressively. Still, his raw reaction ignited backlash from both the Vikings community and media covering the league. Holcomb’s withdrawal of the statement has only added fuel to the fire that started from Cris Carter’s comments.

Cris Carter turns up the heat on J.J. McCarthy’s inconsistencies

Vikings legend Cris Carter pushed back hard against praise for J.J. McCarthy by reposting Emmanuel Acho’s “clutch gene” post, which celebrated McCarthy’s late-game drive. 

“Did you watch the first 59 mins?” Carter bluntly replied.

His critique went deeper than a simple snub. Carter questioned McCarthy’s mechanics on KFAN-FM 100.3, noting that his elbow often hangs too low and his drop from the pocket feels rushed. He argued that McCarthy doesn’t always show patience or deep reads, and sometimes, the fundamentals just aren’t there.

“F****** clown,” Holcomb fired back. 

The comment went wild on social media, especially in the Vikings community, after attacking a Hall of Fame receiver. A simple question that seemed quite reasonable based on the performance the troubled quarterback displayed. Even the fans took notice of the inconsistencies after the 4th loss at home.

It makes sense for Greg Holocomb to defend his colleague, but calling Cris Carter a “clown” does more harm than good. Carter’s only action was to watch McCarthy’s style of play before putting together a single, successful drive at the end of the game.

Backing Carter’s concerns, McCarthy completed only 16 of 32 passes for 150 yards, threw two interceptions, and managed just one touchdown. Carter isn’t buying the “clutch-gene” narrative of McCarthy. He thinks McCarthy’s game needs to evolve, or else he might never slow the game down enough to truly excel.