There was little consternation in Minnesota when the state’s favorite professional sports team decided not sign a veteran quarterback to tutor, or at least babysit, J.J. McCarthy through his first real NFL season.
It seemed Vikings fans were ready for the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft to take the reins of a team whose fortunes seemed to be resting on the performance of its quarterback. This despite the fact that McCarthy, a national championship winner at Michigan, missed his entire rookie season because of a knee injury.
The Vikings could have re-signed Sam Darnold, a revelation as he defibrillated his career with a sensational year while leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record in 2024. But it would have been expensive, more than $40 million for a one-year franchise tag, and the Vikings were committed to McCarthy long term.
Then Aaron Rodgers, looking for one last shot at winning his second Super Bowl, threw his hat into the ring, meeting with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell over the summer to see if there would be a fit. From the outside, it seemed like a good idea. Nope.
Now the Vikings, who spent big on free-agent deals last spring to create a soft landing for McCarthy, are 3-3 and in last place in the NFC North Division after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-22, on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Sunday’s loss was largely because Carson Wentz wasn’t good enough, unable to coax his team to touchdowns on 5 of 6 drives inside the red zone and giving the Eagles their second touchdown with a pick six.
“I thought he competed,” O’Connell said.
He did, and let’s be clear. This is not a Carson Wentz issue; it’s a Vikings management issue. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, in fact, did well to sign Wentz — idle after not being picked up by anyone after last season — the week after training camp came to a close. But he waited too long. Wentz didn’t have a training camp with anyone.
On Sunday, Wentz nearly willed the Vikings down the field as they rallied to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter, twice converting third-and-10 plays by scrambling for 16 and 12 yards. But after T.J. Hockenson failed to corral Wentz’s pass in the back of the end zone, the Vikings settled for a field goal that made it 28-22.
Justin Jefferson probably would have caught that pass and given the Vikings a little more life than Will Reichert’s 29-yard field goal, but it was aimed at a tight end and not one of the NFL’s best two or three wide receivers.
It would be disingenuous to actually pin Sunday’s loss on Wentz, especially when the Vikings’ defense was torched by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns — the first a 37-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown on fourth-and-4 that made it 7-0, the second a 79-yarder to Brown on their first second-half possession that made it 21-6.
The Vikings held the Eagles’ struggling rushing attack to 45 yards on 23 carries, yet trailed the entire game because almost every time the Eagles needed a big play, the Vikings’ secondary complied.
Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, on the wrong end of the Eagles’ 79-yard touchdown, fell on his sword, saying, “I put it on me. I put the whole team on me. I’ve gotta make those plays.”
Hey, there was plenty of blame to go around.
Center Blake Brandel was called for holding to negate a third-down touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor (Reichard field goal) and snapped the ball over his quarterback’s head for a 22-yard loss to kill another touchdown opportunity (Reichard field goal).
Josh Metellus was burned by Brown on the Eagles’ first touchdown, and Rodgers was beat by Brown on a 45-yard, fourth-down pass deep into Vikings’ territory that essentially ended the game with 1 minute, 35 second remaining.
Wentz is just the easiest target because of the pick six and an intentional grounding penalty that ended a touchdown bid with another Reichard field goal instead. That’s 11 points in a six-point loss.
Under the circumstances, Wentz has probably exceeded realistic expectations. He certainly has been better than McCarthy was in his two starts before being lost to a high-ankle sprain. It just hasn’t been good enough — and it only magnifies the team’s big offseason decision to spend more than $200 million on free agents, then to give the keys to a quarterback who is, for all intents and purposes, a rookie.
Related Articles
Carson Wentz’s early struggles doom Vikings in loss to Eagles
The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 7: Last-minute moves
Now with Vikings, Isaiah Rodgers grateful Eagles gave him second chance
How the Vikings are building J.J. McCarthy from the ground up
Vikings vs. Eagles: What to know ahead of Week 7 matchup
Leave a Reply