JJ McCarthy Membawa Ketenangan Veteran Sebelum Melepaskan untuk Memenangkan Pemain Terbaik LFG

J.J. McCarthy was cool, calm and collected in his return to action after missing five games due to an ankle sprain, helping the Vikings pull off one of the biggest upsets of the NFL season to defeat the Lions, 27-24. 

The Vikings quarterback, who only made his third career start on Sunday, kept that veteran-like poise during his interview with Tom Brady as he was awarded LFG Player of the Game. Well, McCarthy kept that cool until it was time to say goodbye to Brady. 

“Thank you so much, Tom. Appreciate it,” McCarthy said before he leaned into the camera. “Let’s f—ing go! C’mon!”

While McCarthy was poised for much of Sunday’s game, that doesn’t mean he was devoid of personality. He had fun when he ran for a touchdown on a third-and-8 play in the third quarter, hitting the Griddy like he was teammate Justin Jefferson following the score. 

But McCarthy also gave the Vikings a steady hand when it mattered most. Facing a third-and-5 from their own 28-yard line with 1:41 remaining, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell decided to put the game in McCarthy’s hands. The quarterback made O’Connell look smart, hitting receiver Josh Nailor on a well-placed, back-shoulder ball for a 16-yard gain that sealed the victory for the Vikings. 

“I saw Speedy (Nailor) was 1-on-1, and it was only a matter of time for him to get that moment,” McCarthy told Brady of that play. “We knew he was ready for it. So, I just popped it up to him and let him do the rest. The offensive line did a tremendous job blocking. Coach O’Connell called a great play. Tremendous respect and honor that he trusts me in that moment.”

That completion was McCarthy’s final pass on a day in which he completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to go with the touchdown run. On the surface, that stat line might not look tremendous. But considering the stakes and circumstances, McCarthy delivered. 

McCarthy’s final stat line also doesn’t paint the picture of how well he played in the first half, helping the Vikings take a 17-14 lead into the break after the Lions took an early 7-0 lead. In fact, in just the first quarter alone, McCarthy completed 5 of 7 passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns.

J.J. McCarthy finds the endzone with nine-yard TD rush, extending Vikings’ lead over Lions

As Brady detailed earlier in the week that the first quarter is always the most difficult to play after returning from a long-term injury, the seven-time Super Bowl-winner told McCarthy that he thought he had a “great” first half. 

“I really appreciate it,” McCarthy said. “It was all about focusing on the little things, focusing on the things I can control. The procedure in and out of the huddle, the procedure at the line of scrimmage, how’s my footwork, how’s the decision-making and how’s my ball security — all those little things to prevent all the anxiety and nerves. 

“I’ve just got to go out there and focus on the things I can control and see what happens at the end of this thing. It turned out our way.”

With the win, the Vikings improved to 4-4 and remain in the NFC North hunt after the Packers were also upset on Sunday. The win also allowed McCarthy to have another enjoyable moment in the state of Michigan. Of course, McCarthy helped Michigan win three Big Ten titles over his three seasons in Ann Arbor, with the Wolverines winning the national championship in his final season with the program.

“It’s a great state,” McCarthy said as he spoke with a fellow Wolverine. “There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears shed in this state. It’s always great seeing old fans and old relationships that you kinda continue along the way. It’s just a great atmosphere. The crowd was electric and we definitely fed off that today.”

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