KOC says Minnesota has their man

[StickierBuns]

KOC on J.J. McCarthy:

"This guy is so motivated and so dialed in. As excited as I was to draft him, he's confirmed everything that I hoped to see. Our fan base and everyone should be excited about the fact that we've got our young franchise quarterback in the building."

[MAD GAINZ]

The demeanor, the leadership, the poise, the arm and accuracy. He made an impression on the team even though he's done for the year.

Probably easy for KOC to say that now that he won't play this season. You could tell he was trying to hold back from gushing about him since Darnold was going to be the starter (at least early in the season).

[purplefaithful]

CLEVELAND – J.J. McCarthy had surgery on his right knee Wednesday and a full repair of his torn meniscus was necessary.

The Vikings rookie quarterback will miss the 2024 season.

Coach Kevin O’Connell reported the news as the Vikings prepared for joint practices against the Browns, saying he expected the Michigan product to make a complete recovery.

“As crushed as I am for our team and the excitement that we had in our building — and our fan base felt the same way, especially after seeing him perform the other day at U.S. Bank Stadium — I’m the most crushed for J.J.,” O’Connell said. “But as our fans have either already come to find out or will in the future, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in. As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see not only early on through training camp and his performance last Saturday.

“Everyone should be excited about the fact that we got our young franchise quarterback in the building. Now it’s about the unique aspect of continuing the developmental process for him.”

The team hoped the tear was is small enough that McCarthy would only require a trim to the damaged cartilage and would be back by midseason, but a full meniscus repair typically yields better long-term results.

https://www.startribune.com/vikings-rook.../601109277

[MaroonBells]

Yeah, this is what I was saying earlier today. Of course the injury sucks and we won't get to see him play this year, but what should excite everyone who bleeds purple is that it really looks like we have our guy. 

Before the draft that's all anyone talked about. Not getting a rookie starter, not going to the playoffs...we just wanted to be sure that the guy we drafted is indeed our franchise QB for the ages...and not the next Zach Wilson, or Josh Rosen, or Trey Lance or Mitch Trubisky...and while it is a little early to make that claim, all the signs are screaming that JJ is special. 

That's a good feeling.

[StickierBuns]

I knew it. Called it. Never wavered. And then he was drafted, came in, won everyone on the team over, balled out in practice and the Raiders game, it was all obvious he's The One. Said what would happen, step by step. And then this. I'm having a problem as a fan getting past it. Its fucking frustrating.

I'll be fine, its just football. He'll be healed and back for 2025. He's only 21 years old. I get that. But right now:

[MaroonBells]

The demeanor, the leadership, the poise, the arm and accuracy.  He made an impression on the team even though he's done for the year. 

Probably easy for KOC to say that now that he won't play this season. You could tell he was trying to hold back from gushing about him since Darnold was going to be the starter (at least early in the season).

I think he really wanted to redshirt him at first, to do everything the right way and not take any chances with his development. But I think like all of us, when he saw him in camp, I sense he started to think maybe we do have someone special here, a guy like CJ Stroud who can maybe play earlier than expected....probably not week 1, but maybe after the bye.

Then in the preseason game when JJ threw that pick and instead of letting that get to him, leading to a crisis in confidence, or a gunshy-ness that hobbles a lot of young QBs, he came out firing, I think KOC may have been entertaining the idea that this was the kind of young QB who you really could throw in there early because mistakes aren't going to bother him as much they might another QB.

[purplefaithful]

I've called out the Org and KOC specifically for looking like they have a really good handle on how to rear a Darnold vs a JJM.

That need is even bigger now. I have faith in KOC to tailor the coaching appropriately under these very trying circumstances.

It's just a hunch of course. We all have our own Superpower. I think KOC's is QB whisperer.

[purplefaithful]

Loss of Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy a heartbreak, but anguish will pass

Plans for season have been thrown into disarray, but injury is a setback, not the end, for ex-Michigan star.

Kevin O’Connell chose the right word.

“Crushed,” the Vikings coach said in announcing that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy underwent season-ending knee surgery Wednesday morning.

The timeline that led to that news hit like a sucker punch. The mood swung from euphoric to deflating faster than a bowl of ice cream melting in a microwave.

On Saturday, McCarthy dazzled in his preseason debut, raising hopes not just for his future but for what might possibly come this season.

On Monday, he reported to work with pain in his right knee.

On Wednesday, see you next season, J.J.

This was cruel even for a fanbase as calloused from bad news as this one. Yes, there are knee injuries worse than a torn meniscus, but silver linings are hard to espouse when a rookie quarterback drafted No. 10 overall suffers a season-ending injury in training camp.

This represents a pause to McCarthy’s development timeline. No one realistically expected him to start Week 1 or maybe even Week 9 or beyond, but everyone assumed he would practice and gain valuable reps from doing work on the field.

Process means everything in a player’s development, especially at that position. McCarthy will still take part in quarterback meetings and film sessions and benefit from watching and learning from the sideline. What he will miss is that next important step of applying all that knowledge he gains on the practice field.

McCarthy has looked far more comfortable and polished in training camp than he did in spring workouts, which underscores the step-by-step nature of learning to play the position. What impact this injury hiatus has on his development will be determined months from now.

“From Day 1 back in the spring until Saturday night, the transformation of a really good player had really started to look like an NFL quarterback,” O’Connell said. “I really believe that J.J. has kind of confirmed to me and a lot of our coaches and players that we got the right guy in the building for the future, and he did it in a short amount of time.

That’s what makes this news hard because you know how exciting it would have been daily minute-to-minute process.”

O’Connell has gone to great lengths to fend off any outside perceptions or chatter about McCarthy’s timetable. The organization had no plans to put the rookie on the field until O’Connell and his coaching staff determined that he was fully ready. That is their one and only timeline.

The best-case scenario even before McCarthy’s injury was for Sam Darnold to play so well that McCarthy’s timetable did not become a daily discussion. That remains the case, though any visions of McCarthy replacing Darnold at some point the season is no longer an option. It’s now Darnold or bust.

Darnold serves as a $10 million bridge to McCarthy’s tenure, and McCarthy’s injury shouldn’t prevent that passing of the baton from happening after this season. But again, the team likely won’t be able to gauge his readiness to take over as the starter until next spring.

Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was chatting with a small group of reporters at the end of the offseason workouts when he mentioned a document that he and O’Connell had scripted two years ago.

That document was basically a to-do list designed to guide the organization on a new path. Adofo-Mensah had successfully checked off a handful of big-ticket items that revealed a clearer vision for his plan.

“Ultimately, we knew we had to get to this place,” he said in June.

That overarching plan hasn’t changed, but McCarthy’s injury is reminder that unexpected obstacles often arise.

The news on McCarthy is a bummer for many reasons. His arrival has sparked hope and excitement, and the first glimpse of him in action Saturday did nothing to dampen those emotions.

This is a setback, not a doomsday injury, and that’s one positive that comes from this situation. McCarthy is still the team’s quarterback of the future. A little more patience is just required now.

https://www.startribune.com/loss-of-viki.../601110016

[StickierBuns]

I've called out the Org and KOC specifically for looking like they have a really good handle on how to rear a Darnold vs a JJM.

That need is even bigger now. I have faith in KOC to tailor the coaching appropriately under these very trying circumstances.

It's just a hunch of course. We all have our own Superpower. I think KOC's is QB whisperer.

KOC got the right piece of clay, simple as that. McCarthy being the youngest QB in the NFL right now is what makes this palatable. Still have a bitter taste in my mouth....its going to take a lot of mouthwash, I think.

[purplefaithful]

Did anyone else here this b4 now? I did not.

Local tv news sports cast talking last night how JJM had made huge strides from OTA's to TC/Raider game...So much so that it surprised the Vikings front office/coaches.

Makes you wonder if he wasn't going to be QB2 sooner than later? Maybe even on trajectory to start post bye depending how Darnold was doing.

That said, I'm coming around to just enjoying this year for whatever it'll be, but optimistic about 25.