J.J. McCarthy Gets Blunt Message After Vikings Beat Lions
The Minnesota Vikings brought J.J. McCarthy back under center for a challenging road matchup against the Detroit Lions, with added pressure to prove he belongs as the team’s starting quarterback.
McCarthy completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards, threw two touchdowns, and had one interception, while also adding a rushing touchdown in the 27-24 victory over their NFC North rival.
After the Vikings’ win over the Lions, CBS Sports NFL analyst Danny Kanell shared a blunt analysis of what he saw from McCarthy.
“I thought he was really impressive, going on the road against one of the better defenses and one of the better teams in the entire National Football League,”
“Now, you’re throwing Justin on the outside. He made a great catch there, but he’s throwing the ball with a ton of confidence. He is not afraid to take many of those chances because he does have some really good weapons out there. He knows what he can do mobility-wise because he can escape and run. And it was his first time back in the lineup for a while.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Now Has Confidence After the Win
Kanell elaborated even more that while there were questions regarding McCarthy, this game against the Lions is a confidence booster for the young quarterback.
“So I thought this was huge for his confidence,” Kanell added. “I don’t think he lacks any, but I still see a young player who’s a little more volatile out there. You get some good throws, you get some bad throws. He’s got to get more consistent, but I think he is playing with a ton of confidence right now for a young player.”
J.J. McCarthy Earns Praise From Vikings Teammate
After the victory over the Lions, Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson spoke with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and didn’t hold back on the praise for McCarthy.
“What a baller,” Hockenson said. “He’s a vet through and through. You wouldn’t think it by his age, but the way he carries himself, the way he performs on Sundays, and the way he operates our offense, it shows you that.”
McCarthy also spoke candidly about his own performance, but he didn’t hesitate to credit the team. The support from his teammates gave him the tools to produce at a high level and helped boost his confidence upon his return from injury.
“Obviously a lot of excitement … and I’m just so proud of the guys,” McCarthy said. “We fought, we had a different energy this week, a different level of focus. But there’s a lot more we can clean up. We haven’t reached our potential. We haven’t even gotten close yet.”
It will be interesting to see if McCarthy can carry this performance over into Week 10 when the Vikings take on the Baltimore Ravens. Moreover, the victory over the Lions puts Minnesota back in the NFC playoff picture.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Issues Clear Notice After Win Over Texans
Sean Payton was not pleased following the Denver Broncos’ win over the Houston Texans, and it could cost someone their job. However, it might not be who some think.
The Broncos had a field goal blocked and a muffed punt. Fortunately for the Broncos, the Texans were only able to convert those turnovers into 6 points. Still, Payton noted that the Broncos struggled in field positioning, too, again pointing to his special teams.
It all seemingly pointed to either a coaching or execution issue.
Sean Payton Sends ‘Damning’ Message on Broncos’ Special Teams
Payton met with the media after the hard-fought 18-15 victory. He noted the challenges of the Broncos being without All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II, the adjustments to Texans quarterback
But the team’s special teams snafus and the Texans’ effectiveness irked Payton.
The Denver Post’s Luca Evans called
“We’ll look at that on film, all of that. Without watching it on tape, my concern was just the late subs. It was a little bit sloppy in the kicking game. We’ll get that cleaned up, or we’ll find someone else that can do it,”
“The thing that was troubling me a little bit was, we went into it wanting to play as much of the game on their side of the field. And I felt in the kicking game, we didn’t do enough to leverage the field position battle, and defensively, fortunately, we held up. So, if you really paid attention to the game, I felt like our drives were starting to the far right or left, and their drives were starting more towards midfield. And fortunately, our defense took care of that. “
However, Payton’s ire was not believed to be aimed at special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.
“From what I gather postgame, #Broncos coach Sean Payton was referring to personnel,” The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reported
Payton could be seen instructing Broncos kicker Wil Lutz to send the ball the “right through” the uprights, smirking as the player confirmed he received the message. Lutz drilled a 34-yarder to win the game for the Broncos.
Michael Bandy muffed the punt. However, Payton praised him after the game.
He filled in for injured All-Pro Marvin Mims. Mims suffered a concussion late in Week 8 against the
Payton may not have been talking about Rizzie on Sunday. The Broncos still have plenty of work to do in that phase, getting outgained 147 yards to 106 yards on kick and punt returns in Week 9.
Sean Payton: Monday All ‘About Recovery’
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on against the Tennessee Titans.
Payton and the Broncos are on a short week. Their AFC West rivals, the
“Everything about tomorrow is recovery, walkthrough. We’ve learned a little bit more over the years,” Payton said, referencing his time with the Cowboys. “Whatever we did wasn’t right. I think we’ve learned a little bit more about the time from this game, and how we have to get these guys mentally and physically recovered from it. And then, fortunately, we’re playing at home.”
Unfortunately for Payton and the Broncos, they are unlikely to get Surtain back next week.
So, keeping their healthy players fresh is even more critical in his absence. They also escaped this contest without any further personnel losses, which is good news.
