McCarthy's Debut

I think Viking's fans need to keep in mind that this is not only JJ's first NFL start upcoming, but he went a long period last year where he couldn't even throw a football because of the knee recovery. He's doing a great job of making up for lost time, but the fact remains there's catching up to do and a limited time to get there. Pluses are that he knows the offense ins and outs, is handling the huddle and line of scrimmage well and doesn't lack in ability or confidence. But he'll be learning a lot when the bullets are live. His accuracy I think will be a work in progress and will get incrementally better as the season progresses. He's going to rely on his feet a bit more than KOC will like, but that's how athletic QBs rookies do it: look at Drake Maye, Caleb and Jayden. Vrabel said he wants Maye running much less this year.

Its not always going to look smooth. He's not always going to be the most efficient. He'll probably be more playmaker than pocket passer the first 5 to 7 games. But everyone will see the potential, the high upside and some eye-opening athletic plays. Just hang in there, there'll be a learning curve. I think to expect otherwise is to not look at the realities of the circumstance and situation. But he's got a great supporting cast and smart coaches.