Recap of J.J. McCarthy's performance in Vikings' joint practice with New England
The good, the bad and the in-between of McCarthy's day.
J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings faced the New England Patriots on Wednesday in the first of two days of joint practices at TCO Performance Center. It’s not a stretch to say that these two sessions might be the most valuable that the young quarterback will get during training camp. Here’s a look at McCarthy’s day.
The unofficial stats: McCarthy was 10-for-15 in 11-on-11 drills and is 103-for-144 (71.5 completion percentage) in camp. He was 10-for-13 in seven-on-seven and is 49-for-71 (69 percent) overall.
Why this is important: Because it gives McCarthy the chance to get far more reps than he would in a preseason game — he received 55 reps and made 38 throws on Wednesday — going against New England’s first-team defense. The key is it was in a controlled environment. That means McCarthy’s wearing a red jersey — signifying he’s not to be hit — and coach Kevin O’Connell can discuss a rep with him as soon as it’s done. The Vikings also have giant video boards on the sideline that they can watch to see replays of what happened.
Under pressure: The practice ended with McCarthy leading the Vikings in a two-minute drill in 11-on-11. Minnesota trailed by three points with 1 minute, 15 seconds left, one timeout and the ball at its 30-yard line. McCarthy completed passes to tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones on the first two plays to get to midfield. A false start on the offense made it first-and-15 from the Vikings 45 and after two incompletions it was third-and-15. McCarthy scrambled for 10 yards and completed a 14-yard pass to Jordan Addison on fourth-and-5. After taking a timeout with 31 seconds left, Jones had a 1-yard rush and McCarthy spiked the ball at the New England 30 to set up a 48-yard field goal by Will Reichard.
Finding a way: McCarthy faced a first-and-10 from his own 35 in 11-on-11 when he encountered pressure. It looked like he might be sacked, but instead he adjusted his arm angle and completed a pass to Hockenson. McCarthy has shown an ability throughout camp to change his arm slot and keep plays alive. Hockenson caught three passes from McCarthy in team drills on Wednesday and four in seven-on-seven.