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Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Deemed 'Polar Opposite' of Sam Darnold originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Deep in his own end zone, Sam Darnold cocked back and launched a ball to the Minnesota Vikings logo at midfield that was snared by star receiver Justin Jefferson.
It proved to be a 97-yard touchdown connection in Darnold's second game with the team and an early indicator of the season he would have.
Darnold flashed his big arm throughout a 4,319-yard, 35-touchdown season en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
However, he had his struggles executing a vital part of Kevin O'Connell's offense, which a Vikings analyst argued J.J. McCarthy can excel at.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) at Vikings training campJeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
On a June 11 appearance on SKOR North, Judd Zulgad detailed the dichotomy between Darnold and McCarthy.
From Zulgad:
Zulgad's eye test holds up when looking at the numbers.
Darnold threw the fourth-most big-time throws (23) on passes of 20 or more yards. He also led the league with 12 turnover-worthy plays on intermediate throws between 10 and 19 yards.
Among qualifying quarterbacks, Darnold graded as the 19th-best quarterback on intermediate throws with a 77.7 grade by Pro Football Focus.
In particular, on throws 10 to 19 yards out along the left boundary, Darnold completed an abysmal 9 of 26 passes (34.6%) for 157 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a 36.9 passer rating. That area became untouchable for the offense.
While Darnold's deep ball lent itself to dazzling highlight-reel worthy plays, deep throws only made up about 75 of 585 pass attempts -- roughly 12.8%.
Kevin O'Connell's offense is largely predicated on intermediate throws over the middle, which seemed to be McCarthy's wheelhouse.
The young quarterback looked better at those chain-moving throws than the seven-year veteran in training camp last year.
That should bode well for McCarthy being productive in his first year as he continues to develop his game.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
Deep in his own end zone, Sam Darnold cocked back and launched a ball to the Minnesota Vikings logo at midfield that was snared by star receiver Justin Jefferson.
It proved to be a 97-yard touchdown connection in Darnold's second game with the team and an early indicator of the season he would have.
Darnold flashed his big arm throughout a 4,319-yard, 35-touchdown season en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
However, he had his struggles executing a vital part of Kevin O'Connell's offense, which a Vikings analyst argued J.J. McCarthy can excel at.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) at Vikings training campJeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
On a June 11 appearance on SKOR North, Judd Zulgad detailed the dichotomy between Darnold and McCarthy.
From Zulgad:
Zulgad's eye test holds up when looking at the numbers.
Darnold threw the fourth-most big-time throws (23) on passes of 20 or more yards. He also led the league with 12 turnover-worthy plays on intermediate throws between 10 and 19 yards.
Among qualifying quarterbacks, Darnold graded as the 19th-best quarterback on intermediate throws with a 77.7 grade by Pro Football Focus.
In particular, on throws 10 to 19 yards out along the left boundary, Darnold completed an abysmal 9 of 26 passes (34.6%) for 157 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a 36.9 passer rating. That area became untouchable for the offense.
While Darnold's deep ball lent itself to dazzling highlight-reel worthy plays, deep throws only made up about 75 of 585 pass attempts -- roughly 12.8%.
Kevin O'Connell's offense is largely predicated on intermediate throws over the middle, which seemed to be McCarthy's wheelhouse.
The young quarterback looked better at those chain-moving throws than the seven-year veteran in training camp last year.
That should bode well for McCarthy being productive in his first year as he continues to develop his game.
Related: Vikings Star Gets Honest About Missing Practice Amid Contract Dispute
Related: Vikings Trade Idea Sees J.J. McCarthy Joined by Young Gunslinger QB
Related: Vikings Trade Idea Sees J.J. McCarthy Joined by Young Gunslinger QB
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
