Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy experienced a wild ride in the 27-24 Monday Night Football win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
McCarthy and the Vikings’ offense struggled through three quarters, scoring only six points and throwing a pick-six. However, the second-year Michigan product and his team came alive in the fourth quarter, putting up 21 points to secure the comeback victory.
The 22-year-old’s ups and downs on Monday night had fans and analysts talking. His late-game heroics showed his potential, prompting some to make early comparisons to established NFL quarterbacks.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy gets Baker Mayfield comp
After seeing McCarthy for the first time at the NFL level, FS1 host Colin Cowherd gave the Vikings signal-caller an interesting quarterback comparison.
“the fact that J.J. McCarthy ended up with a 98 passer rating after the first three quarters is remarkable,” Cowherd said on Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd.” “I mean, the Minnesota Vikings still only finished 3-for-12 on third down and six fewer first downs than the Bears. They were unwatchable offensively for three quarters. But I have found my J.J. McCarthy comp: Baker Mayfield.”
Moreover, Cowherd went into detail about why McCarthy reminds him of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.
“Play at a college power [house], tons of emotion, a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. I wish they were bigger,” Cowherd added. “But all they have to do, Baker and J.J. McCarthy, can go into slumps and get reckless. But if they make one big throw and they gain that confidence, their velocity and their accuracy changes. And he, after that pick six, which is about as bad as any pick six I’ve ever seen.
“I mean, he was bad in the first three quarters. But then there was a moment for J.J. McCarthy, and this is very Baker Mayfield. There was a moment, it was in the fourth quarter. He hit Justin Jefferson with a seed, and this play right here unleashed something. The next three drives, it was a different J.J. McCarthy. And this is Baker. All Baker needs to step into it, one rope, and Baker changes.”
