Well, now what?

In the considerable shadow of Isaiah Rodgers on Sunday, Carson Wentz played the best game for a Vikings quarterback since Dec. 29, 2024, when Sam Darnold passed for 377 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-25 victory over Green Bay.

This is a development that, in Minnesota, could be eclipsed only by the kind of game Rodgers had in the Vikings’ 48-10 victory over Cincinnati at U.S. Bank Stadium. The cornerback returned an interception and fumble recovery for touchdowns, then forced a second fumble to start another touchdown drive.

In the first half.

You can’t take this one away from Rodgers and the defense, which forced five turnovers and consistently gave the offense a short field to work with. They were so good that Wentz, now a journeyman (where does the time go?) making his sixth start for a new team in six years, really just had to play clean to help the Vikings rebound from an embarrassing 22-6 loss to Atlanta last week.

But Wentz, 32, was better than that.

The numbers aren’t eye-popping — 14 of 20 for 173 yards and two touchdowns — but all intents and purposes Wentz was perfect. Pulled with a 48-3 late in the third quarter, he took some sacks early, but each was the smart move and he didn’t turn the ball over. His decisions were good, and his passes were accurate with the right touch.

Not bad for a guy who didn’t have a training camp, with the Vikings or anyone else.

So, now what?

Head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have a decision to make, or they will at least after next Sunday’s game against the Steelers in Dublin: Move on with veteran Wentz running the offense, or give the ball back to J.J. McCarthy, who is big, talented and has a strong arm but is essentially a rookie and looked like one in the Vikings’ first two games.
McCarthy showed some real moxie in a season-opening, Monday night victory at Chicago in his NFL debut, cinching his belt and leading a late touchdown drive to dispatch the Bears at Soldier Field. It was a positive sign.

Still, there’s no getting around the fact that McCarthy has otherwise been underwhelming, completing a combined 59 percent of his passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Maybe that’s to be expected, but considering the Vikings decided not to re-sign Darnold, and declined a one-year offer from Aaron Rodgers, maybe they expected more?

This team has made a lot of moves, and spent a lot of money, to be solid everywhere but quarterback.

Maybe Wentz can change that. The second overall pick in the 2016 draft, he is 47-46-1 as an NFL starter, passing for 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions in 94 starts. Those are better numbers that Sam Darnold had before led Minnesota to a 14-3 regular-season record in 2024.

The Vikings have, in fact, done well with short-timer veteran quarterbacks. Brett Favre led the best Vikings team in years to the NFC Championship Game. So did Case Keenum after Sam Bradford aggravated an old knee injury. Heck, even Randall Cunningham had to come out of retirement before taking the Vikings to the now infamous 1998 NFC title game.

None of them reached the Holy Mountain. It has been mentioned in this space that expecting a rookie quarterback to lead a team there is nigh on delusional, and odd for a team that for the past two years has made a ton of good free-agent moves.

Maybe Wentz is the one that makes the biggest difference.

One game, especially one so dominated by the defense, certainly isn’t enough to decide whether this is even an issue, but O’Connell has to be stroking his chin. Internal competition can be productive, and if the Vikings have serious thoughts about making the playoffs — especially in a division with two other good teams — the only thing that matters here is performance.

Now, not later.

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There’s been little for Twins fans to cheer for lately, particularly in the second half of the season. But for one final day, Twins fans got to sit outside in warm, sunny weather and cheer on their team to a win.

In the final game at Target Field this season, those in attendance were treated to a well-pitched game with some late offense as the Twins snapped Cleveland’s 10-game winning streak with a 6-2 win in the finale of their four-game series.

Starter Simeon Woods Richardson set the tone on Sunday, giving up two runs in the first inning but turning in another solid performance to keep his team in the game.

Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan hit a leadoff home run, and Cleveland scored another run on a sacrifice fly before Woods Richardson got himself out of the inning. But he gave up just one more hit in his five innings and his effort, along with the bullpen’s, kept the Twins close long enough for the offense to claw back in it.

Kody Clemens’ third-inning single brought home Byron Buxton to cut Cleveland’s lead in half in the third inning, and in the sixth, Brooks Lee’s 16th home run of the season, a two-run shot, gave the Twins their first lead of the day.

The Twins continued to pile on in the eighth with pinch hitter Royce Lewis, in for Trevor Larnach, launching a three-run home run. All six runs the Twins scored in the game came with two outs.

The six runs the Twins scored held up on a day in which the bullpen threw four innings and gave up just one hit. Kody Funderburk, Pierson Ohl, Cole Sands and Travis Adams each tossed a scoreless inning to seal the win for the Twins.

EDUCATION

Luke Marks

St. Thomas Academy, a Mendota Heights private preparatory school, announced Karsten Williams as chief financial officer and that Luke Marks has been promoted to dean of students. Williams most recently served as treasurer for Lime, and has held similar positions at Patterson Cos., Syngenta, G&K Services, Sleep Number and U.S. Bank. Marks, a 2011 St. Thomas grad, has served the school as a football and lacrosse coach and most recently as an English teacher since 2020.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Deluxe, a Minneapolis-based business services and technology company, announced the election of Michelle T. Collins to its board of directors. Collins is a retired Deloitte partner and served as vice chair and a member of Deloitte’s U.S. board of directors.

HEALTH CARE

Essentia Health, a Duluth-based operator of hospitals and clinics, announced the following additions to its board of directors: Marc Adams, retired executive vice president and chief digital officer of Ecolab; Marci Knight, chief marketing officer at American Bank of the North; Dr. Josh Honeyman, emergency medicine physician at Essentia Health in Fargo, N.D., and Sister Jeanne Ann Weber, prioress at St. Scholastica Monastery.

HONORS

The Metropolitan Airports Commission announced that Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has been named the best mega airport for customer and traveler satisfaction in the just-released J.D. Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. MSP has earned the highest ranking in customer satisfaction for mega airports in three out of the past four years. …  The Associates of the Boston Public Library in Massachusetts announced Zarlasht Niaz of Minneapolis as its 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence, which includes a stipend of $70,000.

LAW

Dorsey & Whitney, Minneapolis, announced that Partner Peter Nelson was elected managing partner, succeeding Bill Stoeri. Nelson has been with the firm’s Minneapolis office since 2008. … Spencer Fane announced the addition of Heidi J. Bassett to the firm’s Minneapolis office as a partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Cirtec Medical, a Brooklyn Park-based outsourcing manufacturer of implantable devices and precision components, announced the appointment of Shar Matin as chief executive officer, effective Sept. 2. Matin most recently served as CEO of Cordis. The company also announced the addition of Chris Cleary to its board of directors. Cleary is CEO of Biomergence Capital and previously led global acquisition and investment strategy at Medtronic.

OPENINGS

Les Schwab Tires, a national chain, announced the opening of a location at 15026 Cimarron Ave., Rosemount. Jose Andres Montuya is store manager. … Twin Cities Premium Outlets, Eagan, announced the planned additions of shoe retailer Heydude and juvenile clothing retailer Children’s Place to the center.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Better Business Bureau Serving Minnesota and North Dakota announced the elections of Denise E. Williams and Armetha Pihlstrom to its board of directors. Williams is a professor and former department chair of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Human Resources at Metropolitan State University and founder and CEO of DEW Consulting Group. Pihlstrom is founder and CEO of Pihlstrom Consulting Group.

POLITICS

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, a government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, announced the addition of political strategist Julia Donnelly to its Minneapolis office. Donnelly has worked with Minnesota politicians, including Gov. Tim Walz, and has represented corporate clients and nonprofits before Minnesota’s state Legislature and regulatory bodies.

TECHNOLOGY

Infios, a Bloomington-based provider of supply chain software for business, announced the appointment of Aadil Kazmi as head of artificial intelligence (AI). Kazmi’s experience includes founding a Shopify-backed startup to leading AI deployments for Fortune 100 companies, including Amazon. … Atomic Data, a Minneapolis-based IT-as-a-service company with a focus on sports and large public venues, announced the hire of Jay Bozicevich in the dual roles of president of Atomic Data and chief operating officer of shared services over the three business units of Atomic Data, Game Day Technologies and Foundation Technologies. The firm also announced the promotion of Managing Director Matt Woestehoff to president of Foundation Technologies.

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