Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy led the Minnesota Vikings to a dominant 31-0 victory over the Washington Commanders on December 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Coming off a concussion, McCarthy completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. The young signal-caller also avoided any turnovers, finishing the game with zero interceptions.
While it was a bounce-back performance from McCarthy, it was another lackluster showing from Vikings star Justin Jefferson, who recorded two catches for 11 receiving yards. Nonetheless, Jefferson wasn’t upset about the lack of involvement because the team got their win.
“I [would] rather win and not get the ball than lose and not get the ball,” Jefferson told reporters after the win over the Commanders. “As long as we win and this team coming in here with a happy smile on their face, and you know, we have that confidence to continue on and continue to next week and to better ourselves, and you know to make sure that we continue this feeling. That’s the main objective.”
Moreover, Jefferson was happy to praise all three phases of the football that Minnesota played against the Commanders.
“Coming out and swinging, everything was happening right for us,” Jefferson added. “J.J. went through his reads, made the right decisions, and got the ball in and out of his hands, letting us do the rest. It was a great team effort. The defense played very well, the offense played well, and special teams performed strongly. It was an all-around team win.”
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Talks J.J. McCarthy’s Performance
Jefferson went into detail about McCarthy’s performance against the Commanders. The second-year quarterback had struggled before his concussion, so this performance is a confidence booster heading into the final four games of the 2025 season.
“He deserves this type of game,” Jefferson added. “Just the hard work that he’s been putting in and the criticism, all of the stuff that’s been going on. He’s a young quarterback. I don’t think people really understand that or they forget, he didn’t really play last year.
“So this is really his first year playing and being with his team. There are going to be times when there’s adversity and things might not look the greatest, but him keeping on that road and bouncing back today, it was definitely a great game for him.”
Kevin O’Connell Pinpoints J.J. McCarthy’s Success in Week 14
After the dominant win over the Commanders, head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke about what allowed his quarterback to succeed amid recent struggles.
“I think it was a combination of J.J.’s execution [and] staying efficient,” O’Connell said postgame. “We had some different looks early on in the game to try to change up some things we’ve done, either personnel-wise or schématically, and just try to get off to a fast start and then get a little momentum in the game, allow our defense to play with the lead, and eventually [and] force some turnovers.
“Then try to see if we can stack on that by just staying the course and protecting the football and playing smart. I do think the situational football is probably not going to be talked about but when you run the football efficiently, that’s great.”
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