After riding the roller coaster with quarterback J.J. McCarthy throughout training camp, everybody on the Vikings knew that joint practice with the New England Patriots would reveal how much progress he has made to this point.
You couldn’t have scripted it much better with how well McCarthy played on Thursday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. It was exactly what the Vikings were looking for out of their face of the franchise.
“The offense was humming as a whole,” McCarthy said. “The physicality up front set the tone, and we were able to execute.”
Though he credited his teammates for their efforts, and rightfully so, McCarthy was the straw that stirred the drink for the Vikings in their dissection of New England. He was clear in the huddle, authoritative at the line of scrimmage and precise after the ball was snapped.
All of it impressed head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“It felt decisive,” O’Connell said. “There was an incredible amount of conviction to some of the decisions he made.”
Now the next step for McCarthy is doing it again and again and again. His ability to do that will be the key to success for the Vikings this season.
Here are more takeaways from Day 15 of training camp:
How is McCarthy?
After overthrowing receiver Jordan Addison early in 7-on-7 drills, McCarthy flipped a switch and was nearly perfect the rest of the way.
There was the 50-50 ball to tight end T.J. Hockenson in the back of the end zone. There was the touch pass to Addison over the outstretched arms of a defender. There was a deep shot to running back Aaron Jones that dropped right into the bread basket.
It’s not hyperbole to say this was as good as McCarthy has looked in training camp. There was a stretch during which he completed a dozen straight passes while showing a confident command of the offense.
Fittingly, McCarthy got to cap his notable performance on a high note, winning the situational drill with an effective drive.
After getting the ball back trailing 27-21 with one minute left on the clock, McCarthy moved the ball with a pair of completions, scrambled for a big gain, then hit Addison in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
Who stood out?
As impressive as McCarthy was, backup quarterback Sam Howell also stood out in much more limited reps. There were a number of throws from Howell that stood out, including a touch pass to receiver Jeshaun Jones and a go ball to receiver Myles Price.
After a shaky start to camp, Howell has turned the page over the past couple of weeks.
Not to be outdone, rookie quarterback Max Brosmer continued to turn heads with his arm talent, dropping another dime to receiver Tim Jones that drew a loud cheer from the fans. The remaining exhibition slate will be important for Brosmer as he tries to establish himself as somebody that deserves to stick around.
Quote of the day
“It’s not a matter of this guy saying, ‘You know what? I’m just going to cold clock this guy.’ Nah. We’re competing, and I’m going to try to destroy guys within the parameters of the game. And that comes with it. I’m not surprised. I love it when it’s in good faith like that.”
— Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, on the handful of scrums that occurred during joint practices
Injury report
The biggest concerni s the health of safety Josh Metellus and receiver Jalen Nailor.
On the final play of a situational drill late, Metellus leapt to deflect a pass in the end zone and came down favoring his shoulder. As for Nailor, he participated in the early stages, then sat out down the stretch with a wrap on his hand.
It’s unclear if Metellus or Nailor will miss an extended period of time.
What’s next?
The next step for the Vikings is the exhibition game against the Patriots on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Morgan Moses #76 of the New England Patriots and Dallas Turner #15 of the Minnesota Vikings participate in a drill at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on Aug. 13, 2025 in Eagan, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
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