It was a nightmare performance for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The second-year quarterback went 12 of 19 on his passes for 87 passing yards and two interceptions while being sacked five times by the Green Bay Packers defense in the 23-6 loss on November 23 at Lambeau Field.
The Vikings’ offensive struggles continued: They scored only six points in the first half, and in the second half, the unit was completely shut out by the Green Bay defense. Minnesota’s defense did its best to keep the team in the contest, but eventually the Packers’ offense would rack up points.
As McCarthy’s struggles continue, head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about the quarterback’s situation after that 87-yard passing performance. Nonetheless, he believes it’s a team issue that’s probably leading them to put pressure on McCarthy to help bail them out of jams.
“It does require, as a football team, not doing things that lose games,” O’Connell said postgame. “Special teams turnover, I believe, in two out of our last three games. And then ultimately, the defense is out there battling. They’re trying to get the ball back for us as much as [they] can.
“But then there [are] some things where you can’t have breakdowns around to consistently sustain. So as some of those things happen or you start stacking negatives, that becomes incredibly difficult for any quarterback, never mind a guy just still in this single-digit world of career starts and all that.”
Are the Vikings Asking Too Much From J.J. McCarthy?
O’Connell also noted that although Minnesota committed to McCarthy as its starter, the Michigan product may not yet be equipped to help the team recover from large deficits or overcome turnovers that give the opposition points.
“So we got to keep putting together plans that give us a chance to express what we want to be as an offense with some talented players in that huddle, while also giving him a chance to grow, but not putting the game totally in his hands where the variance of a young quarterback will cost our whole team,” O’Connell added.
“I think there’s a needle to thread there, and we got to just keep on building the foundation of playing the position, but also all 11 guys in that huddle are doing their jobs.”
Vikings Playoff Hopes Are Gone
With the loss to the Packers, Minnesota drops to 4-7, and its hopes of a postseason appearance are over. What’s left of the 2025 NFL season will be for McCarthy to continue to get reps. Moreover, the Vikings front office will have to determine whether they’ll need to pursue a veteran quarterback in the offseason.
The Vikings offense is one built to win now, so these next handful of games from McCarthy will need to be convincing if he wants to be the No. 1 guy. If these next few games continue to be like the previous ones since his return from injury, then expect Minnesota to go for a quarterback that can at least challenge McCarthy for the starting job and will make him earn it.
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