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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy returned from injury in impressive fashion in the 27-24 Week 9 win over the Detroit Lions. Moreover, he has revealed his alter ego that he dials into when out on the field, which should concern the Baltimore Ravens for Week 10. The Vikings’ signal-caller completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards, threw two touchdowns, and had one interception, while also adding a rushing touchdown in the victory over Detroit. On November 5, McCarthy spoke to reporters and put out a warning to teams that when he takes the field, it’s an alter ego that takes over. “There’s definitely a level of a switch that gets flipped,” McCarthy said. “For me, it’s that I call him nine. Nine comes out, and I have to understand that he can’t be at his peak performance throughout three and a half hours. “So, how do I find little ways on the sideline, get back to my breath, get back to my visualization, that could maintain that intense competitive stamina throughout the whole game. It’s just the pure will and determination to get the job done.” Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Still Hasn’t Convinced Doubters Even with his recent play against the Lions, one sports talk host remains unconvinced about the Vikings’ second-year quarterback. During the November 3 episode of “The Herd,” Colin Cowherd offered a pointed take on how he views the Minnesota signal-caller. “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 has 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.” Are the Vikings Easing J.J. McCarthy Into the Starting QB? McCarthy might be in his second NFL season, but it still feels like his first. He missed all of last year with an injury and has only appeared in a handful of games this season after dealing with another setback. Because of that, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell seems to be easing him in to help restore his rhythm and confidence. That’s why Cowherd believes McCarthy is operating in a game-manager role, similar to what he did at Michigan. “My take on J.J. McCarthy: He was good on script,” Cowherd added. “First quarter, 141 passer rating. Rest of the game, his passer rating was 38. I’m buying the coach, Kevin O’Connell. I’m buying Justin Jefferson. I buy the left tackle, Christian Darrisaw. But J.J. McCarthy, I felt like I was watching Michigan J.J. McCarthy. Don’t screw it up and make one big throw.” McCarthy has shown glimpses of what he can become, but sustaining that level of play for an entire game remains the next step. As he continues adjusting to life as an NFL starter, patience will be key. By season’s end, it’ll be worth watching whether he can find that steady rhythm. For now, though, he has Minnesota firmly positioned in the NFC playoff race.
