J.J. McCarthy Freed Himself Up In Minnesota's Preseason Opener - Zone Coverage (2024)

The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their 2024 campaign on Saturday with a gritty 24-23 preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders. It marked the first preseason win since head coach Kevin O’Connell took over in 2022. But more significantly, it marked the first Vikings football since quarterback Kirk Cousins left the team in free agency.

Cousins’ departure ultimately resulted in the Vikings using a top-10 draft pick on J.J. McCarthy, who led the University of Michigan to a college football national championship the previous season. While free-agent acquisition Sam Darnold figures to be the starter, the curiosity from the fanbase is focused on McCarthy. Saturday represented McCarthy’s first opportunity to play NFL football.

Ed. note: This article was published before the Vikings announced that McCarthy has a tear in his right meniscus. He will undergo surgery to determine whether the meniscus needs to be repaired or trimmed.

From a 1,000-foot view, McCarthy’s pro career got off to a great start. He completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

More significant than the stat sheet, McCarthy showed poise in the pocket and appeared comfortable maneuvering the pocket while going through progressions. Plus, he left no doubt about his arm talent – he’s got what it takes in that department.

Of the array of splash plays McCarthy made on Saturday, the most significant was neither of his long touchdown passes. And this particular play has little to do with his arm talent. Instead, it features a glimpse of McCarthy’s intangibles. All great quarterbacks boast toughness, mental fortitude, and confidence when facing adversity. McCarthy showed a glimmer of those traits Saturday afternoon when he completed a 24-yard crossing route to Trishton Jackson in the second quarter.

Before diving into the play, some context is required to fully appreciate the effort McCarthy made. On Minnesota’s previous offensive drive, which happened to be McCarthy’s first in the NFL, he threw an interception that was both an error in judgment and a poor throw.

A gaffe that early in the first game of a career would rattle many rookie quarterbacks. Pulling the trigger on that next tough throw becomes more difficult. For McCarthy, though, it became easier.

With 10:14 left in the second quarter, McCarthy lined up the Vikings for a second-and-six at their own 28-yard line. After sending Trishton Jackson in motion across the formation from the left side to the right, McCarthy took the snap and executed a play-action fake. The play called for a clearout-type concept, in which the X receiver runs a go route to pull safety help deep down the field and open up space for a crossing route underneath.

After going in motion, Jackson creates separation on his medium crossing route. However, pressure collapses the pocket quickly. As McCarthy decides Jackson is going to be his intended receiver, McCarthy undoubtedly knows he will get smacked by a Raiders defender once he makes the throw.

McCarthy stands tall in the pocket and throws an absolute strike with a free rusher bearing down on him. The ball was perfectly in stride, allowing Jackson to pick up a few more yards after the catch.

That bounce-back attitude after a painful interception is encouraging from the presumed franchise quarterback. After an early mistake like McCarthy made, this game could have easily turned into a classic Welcome to the NFL game for a rookie quarterback who was in over his head.

However, it allowed McCarthy to “free himself up.” McCarthy showed confidence and aggression for the rest of the afternoon as he hit big throw after big throw, including two long touchdowns.

It’s only preseason, and McCarthy still has plenty of work left. But Vikings fans should be encouraged by how their franchise quarterback performed in his debut. The early indication is that McCarthy has the right attitude to eventually thrive as an NFL quarterback, as evidenced by the perfect ball he threw on that 24-yard crosser to Jackson.

Quarterbacking an NFL team comes with unique challenges. It’s never easy, and it rarely goes according to plan. McCarthy seems to understand that and embrace it.