(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings are taking a cautious approach regarding their quarterback situation.
As high as they’ve always been on JJ McCarthy, they seem to feel like it would be better for him to sit back for a while and learn from Sam Darnold.
There were a lot of expectations ahead of the Vikings’ preseason debut to get a glimpse of both quarterbacks in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and they both fared pretty well.
Darnold wasn’t out there for long, but he did look calm and collected.
McCarthy, on the other hand, got off to a dreadful start but was able to bounce back in a big way.
When asked about his debut, the Michigan product claimed that watching Darnold lighting up the defense gave him plenty of confidence and, ironically, the fact that he was picked off so early into his debut actually helped him play loose and freely afterward (via Jeff Wald).
#Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy on his debut:
“I felt like I could breathe a little bit more after seeing Sam go down there and just dice up that defense. After that interception, I felt like the nerves just went out the water and I was playing free.” @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/3JaSlhbhK9
— Jeff Wald (@JeffWaldFox9) August 11, 2024
McCarthy entered the game in the second half and threw an interception on the very first drive.
However, he bounced back right away, finishing the night with 11 completions on 17 attempts for 188 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard pass in which he hit his receiver in stride.
Granted, he might not get such a clean look against actual NFL-caliber starters, but still, he looked quite collected and confident when he was on the field.
It’s hard to make anything out of the preseason, as always.
Even so, the Vikings’ youngster looked to be taking steps in the right direction.
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