How a simplified approach from the Vikings helped J.J. McCarthy succeed

After leading the Vikings to a - win over the Washington Commanders young quarterback J J McCarthy tried his best to keep the focus on the big picture He repeatedly talked about how his success in the present he completed of passes for yards and a trio of touchdowns in the win doesn t mean anything if it doesn t translate to success in the future McCarthy however momentarily let his guard down after specific prodding at the podium answering honestly when petitioned if he needed a performance like this to ease his mind Yeah he noted It s definitely reassuring There hasn t been much for McCarthy to feel good about this season as he attempts to put the pieces together He missed more than a month and a half with a high ankle sprain then seemed to get bogged down in the minutiae as he reworked his mechanics before missing another event while in concussion protocol To combat the paralysis by analysis that had been plaguing McCarthy head coach Kevin O Connell opted for what can be considered a simplified approach even if he pushed back on the semantics surrounding the strategy The word simplification and all that is getting thrown out O Connell declared If it was that simple I would maybe get a lot more rest Nonetheless there was a marked shift in how the Vikings operated against the Commanders putting less pressure on McCarthy to make the offense move In total the Vikings handed the ball off times and while particular of that was due to them playing with a rare lead the passing attack didn t seem to be hunting for explosive plays in the same way it had been The advanced metrics sponsorship the eye test as McCarthy had the lowest average time to throw seconds of his career and the second lowest average depth of target yards Not only did he get the ball out quicker than ever before he also didn t push the ball down the field at the same rate He threw the ball pretty accurately O Connell noted I thought it was really positive for him The question now is whether that short-term approach will ultimately lead to long-term success The next litmus test will come when the Vikings voyage to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at AT T Stadium where it will be absorbing to see how O Connell handles McCarthy s responsibilities as a signal caller Although it s unlikely the Vikings will ever go totally away from an offense aimed at creating explosive plays O Connell might have to continue to scale it back while McCarthy gets his feel under him Perhaps growing restless with the approach last Sunday against the Commanders O Connell dialed up a perfect play call that presumably should have resulted in McCarthy hitting receiver Justin Jefferson for a -yard touchdown Instead McCarthy bailed from the pocket amid minor pressure and scrambled his way for a -yard gain We had a chance for a touchdown there and J J got moved off the spot O Connell disclosed We literally kind of created a play on the sideline to put an exclamation point on the event The design worked to perfection as receiver Jordan Addison went into motion before the snap ran a dig across the middle of the field and pulled a defender with him in the process That left Jefferson running wide open after a perfectly executed stutter-and-go move It just didn t come to me Jefferson explained It is what it is It s not really something I m affected by or overly thinking about As long as we get the win that s all that matters The hard truth layered in that pragmatic response is the fact that McCarthy missing that type of throw could eventually be the difference between winning and losing down the road If the Vikings are going to live in a world that prioritizes efficient drives over explosive plays McCarthy can t miss the layups that will inevitably present themselves along the way It doesn t matter what happened McCarthy noted It s about doing it again and consistently growing and staying on the right trajectory of being the best version of ourselves That hinges on McCarthy being the best version of himself Related Articles The Loop Fantasy Football Statement Week Particular subs needed for fantasy playoff relief Playoffs Here s exactly what has to happen for the Vikings to make it Mizutani There will never be anybody quite like Harrison Smith PFF grades from the Vikings win to the Commanders J J McCarthy has a breakthrough Takeaways from the Vikings - win over the Commanders