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The Minnesota Vikings‘ J.J. McCarthy has shown signs that he could become the team’s franchise quarterback. His performances against the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions highlighted his potential, as the young passer played a big role in both wins. Still, analysts believe there’s one major concern in his game. In the Week 9 victory over Detroit, McCarthy went 14-of-25 passing for 143 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for a score that helped secure the win. While on the outside, there are questions whether the second-year quarterback can lead Minnesota to the playoffs, that’s not the case in the dressing room. Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio and shared his thoughts on McCarthy ahead of the Week 10 game against the Baltimore Ravens. “It’s funny you say that because for us in the locker room, we’ve seen it since Day 1, since J.J. McCarthy entered our building,” Cashman said. “That guy is a killer and a winner, the ultimate competitor. What I saw out there [against the Lions], what our team saw, was someone who wanted it badly and was prepared, prepared for the moment, for his role, and to lead our team to victory. “I thought he did a great job commanding the offense with complete ownership and control of the game. It was very impressive. We’re going to need nine to keep operating like that at a high level.” There’s Still Concern Over Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Even with that showing against Detroit keeping the Vikings in the thick of the playoff hunt, FOX Sports broadcaster Daryl Johnston still has one major concern before he can fully believe in McCarthy. “The one thing that we need to see more from J.J. McCarthy is consistency throughout the game,” Johnston said on the latest edition of ‘One on One.” “Two wins on the road in the division are very impressive. Chicago is a much different team this year than last year, and that was an impressive win, especially with how it started. To be able to hang in there and have your teammates believe you’re the guy who can still get it done after struggling says a lot. “He played at a high level in the back end of the game in Chicago and started really well in Detroit. I just want to see J.J. become a little more consistent with his play. He has great people to lean on, and that’s one of the big things for a young quarterback — getting in sync with the Justin Jeffersons and the other guys on offense, while also being able to rely on the run game a bit.” Doubters Over Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Remain Despite the remarks from Johnston, the NFL analyst doesn’t seem to have any doubt about the Vikings quarterback, unlike FS1 host Colin Cowherd. On the November 3 episode of “The Herd,“ Cowherd delivered a blunt assessment of Minnesota’s young signal-caller ahead of Week 10. “He’s like the UPS driver,“ Cowherd said about McCarthy. “I don’t know who he is, but they always deliver on time. The package is never screwed up. I love the delivery system. I don’t know if the UPS driver is any good. Seems like a nice guy. “So it just felt a lot like the Michigan J.J. McCarthy, which is I love the coach at Michigan and the tight end and the defense. And that’s what I felt yesterday. It was fine. He was good on script, but it’s not a script league.”
