The Minnesota Vikings answered a couple big questions in Sunday’s blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, but perhaps none more critical than that of backup QB Carson Wentz and his ability to fill in for injured starter J.J. McCarthy.
Wentz didn’t blow the doors off the Bengals’ below-average defense. He did, however, play efficiently and protect the football, the latter of which has been a knock against him across much of his NFL career.
By the time the game ended in a 48-10 Minnesota victory, Wentz had completed 14-of-20 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He did not account for a single turnover on the day.
That was more than enough of a message to head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota faithful that Wentz can manage the team while McCarthy continues recovering from a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2, which ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported may sideline the young QB for up to a month.
“Carson Wentz led a sharp opening drive, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Oliver, before the offense bogged down for most of the first half,” Kevin Seifert of ESPN wrote on Monday, September 22. “But he caught fire late in the second quarter and led the Vikings to a score on five of his final six possessions. In total, he showed more than enough competence to reassure the Vikings that he can make at least one and probably two more starts before J.J. McCarthy returns from a right ankle injury.”
Vikings Committed to J.J. McCarthy as Starter, Won’t Rush QB Back From Ankle Injury
McCarthy was out of his walking boot by late last week and fully engaged in practices as an observer.
Despite his struggles through his first two NFL games, McCarthy is going to keep his job as the starter and will resume those duties once he’s back to full health. O’Connell said Monday that the team is entirely committed to McCarthy, though the Vikings aren’t going to rush him back.
“First and foremost, he’s got to get healthy,” O’Connell said. “I don’t think it’s one of those things where it’s: hey, the day he’s healthy, and if he’s healthy the night before a game, we’re going to just throw him out there and say, ‘Hey, go figure it out’ type of thing.”
McCarthy is 24-of-41 passing (58.5 percent) with 301 yards, two TDs and three INTs this season. He has also rushed the football seven times for 50 yards and one score.
Carson Wentz Proved Vikings Can Trust Him as Starting QB for Next 2-3 Games
McCarthy is just 22 and missed the entirety of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury he sustained in August 2024.
Minnesota’s offense was abysmal against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, scoring just six points in a 22-6 home loss. The Vikings were also bad through three quarters in the season opener at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears, putting up just two field goals across that 45-minute stretch.
However, McCarthy showed his talent and his mettle in the final period against the Bears, accounting for three touchdowns and leading Minnesota back from an 11-point deficit to capture the win.
There will certainly be more bumps in the road once McCarthy returns to action, but he remains the Vikings’ preferred solution under center. That said, Wentz showed Sunday that he was a valuable late-offseason pick up and can potentially lead the team through back-to-back games in Dublin and London over the next two weeks.