In a 6–22 drubbing by the Falcons — a night marred by self-inflicted errors, a shaky defense, and injuries — JJ McCarthy still stole the spotlight. It was prime time, after all, and critics were quick to pounce on his struggles. But Kevin O’Connell offered a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse: there might actually be hope for McCarthy yet.

Everyone hopped on the stat sheet and pinned JJ McCarthy down as a failure. But there’s a lot behind the performance we saw against the Falcons. “There were some real learning opportunities for our young QB,” O’Connell said. “It was a unique week for him, a short week. Welcomed his child into the world, a day of practice, but I think mentally he was prepared, and I was so proud of the way, we used some extra time throughout Friday and Saturday to get ready for the game plan and he was in total command of it.”

It sure was a learning curve for McCarthy this week. Against the Bears, he flashed potential before fading down the stretch. This time, the 22-year-old struggled from start to finish, completing just 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards while tossing two interceptions and losing a fumble. But just because he’s already a locked starter, we sometimes forget that this is his first real season in the NFL.

We already saw glimpses of brilliance against the Bears. He’s got what it takes. And despite not lighting up the stat sheet, you could tell that he didn’t lose his head. Most young QBs would’ve lost it; he didn’t. McCarthy kept his calm, tried to dictate plays, even when nothing was going right for him. And about the poor numbers, O’Connell’s backdrop adds some sense to it.

This was a rather short week for McCarthy (long, in a sense). He and his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, just welcomed a baby boy. That led to him missing a training session. And a quarterback missing even one practice can make all the difference in the world. But regardless, he had a total command of the game plan, as O’Connell revealed. And these contexts matter. He’s here, he’s committed, and he has a lot of room to improve. The ceiling is really, really high. And we might see him make a big leap as the season progresses. So, yeah, it’s unfair to blame him for the loss.

JJ McCarthy played his part, sure. But the OL around him didn’t help. McCarthy was sacked six times while trying to spark a unit that had 10 first downs for a total loss of 38 yards, under relentless pressure the entire night. It’s like 2x Super Bowl champion Bryant McFadden said, “If you want to see your quarterback be better….you have to protect him at some point in time.”

O’Connell also pointed out something that’s a big cause of concern for the team. And most importantly, for the young QB.

Vikings’ physical toll forces new QB addition

If JJ McCarthy’s night was rough on the stat sheet, it was even harsher on the body. McCarthy spent most of the night under fire from the Falcons, taking six sacks and absorbing hits again and again. And O’Connell didn’t like it. “He was hit too much for my liking early on,” the head coach added.

“We had some mental breakdowns and physical breakdowns that we gotta find a way to rectify. I think we’ll be able to do that as we press on and move forward. But I think it was a great learning opportunity for him to feel, especially the way….our defense kept him out of the end zone….The game was still very much in reach. We just needed to make one or two plays, specifically on some of those third downs, that I think JJ McCarthy will make and make many, many times and move the team and put us in position to win a football game.”

No doubt, the physical toll was heavy on the QB, and it resulted in an ankle sprain. McCarthy cleared an initial medical check and had his foot taped for extra support after the injury, but the pain worsened overnight. That’s why McCarthy is out of the roster for week 3. And that’s the reason why the Vikings added quarterback Desmond Ridder to the active roster.

Interestingly, the 2022 third-round pick spent all of training camp and preseason with the Vikings’ Week 3 opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, before being cut when the roster shrank from 90 to 53 players. And he’s a great depth piece to have. He has a career record of 8–10 as a starter, having thrown for 4,002 yards with 16 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Moreover, the Vikings’ QB depth also includes Carson Wentz. So, if he starts on Sunday, he will become the third quarterback in NFL history drafted in the first round to start a game for six different teams. It will also give McCarthy some extra pressure to put up consistent performances. He’d still be the QB1, sure. But having an experienced backup behind you always gives that extra edge.