Not much has gone right for J.J. McCarthy this season. He missed a month and a half with a high ankle sprain in the early stages, then struggled mightily with his mechanics upon his return to the field.
It hit a potential breaking point a couple of weeks ago when McCarthy looked completely overwhelmed while the Vikings got blown out by the Green Bay Packers. He suffered a concussion in the process as some started to question the viability of him playing the position long term.
That’s why McCarthy’s performance on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium felt so important. He got some swagger back as the Vikings ran away with a 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders.
It wasn’t as sexy stat line for McCarthy by any means. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards and a trio of touchdowns while leading a wire to wire win. The most encouraging part migth have been the simple fact that he didn’t turn the ball over at any point.
It was a complete effort by the Vikings across the board as the offense moved the ball efficiently throughout the game while the defense forced a trio of turnovers en route to recording a shutout.
Will this go down as a moment everything changed for McCarthy in his career? That remains to be seen. In a campaign devoid of of a lot of bright spots, however, McCarthy will take a win any way he can get it.
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