For any Minnesota Vikings fan who watched their team in person at U.S. Bank Stadium or from the comfort of their own home, they left that 19-17 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 11 with the most sour taste in their mouths.
Much of that comes from the play of their young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who made just his fifth career start in the NFL. McCarthy struggled, completing just 50% of his passes for 150 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions in the loss.
The frustration with McCarthy's inaccuracy reached a point where even Justin Jefferson was publicly expressing his own frustration on the field. It wouldn't be the first time it has happened with McCarthy, as one anonymous coach believes everyone on offense, including the head coach, Kevin O'Connell, is frustrated with the young signal caller.
"The receivers are visually frustrated, and they are open all over the tape," an opposing coach told The Athletic's Mike Sando before the Bears game. "All of them — (Jalen) Nailor, (Jordan) Addison, (Justin) Jefferson, the tight end (T.J. Hockenson). That should be a Cincinnati offense, but all you hear from Minnesota is about how rosy and great it is there. What I see is a quarterback who feels like he is really frustrating the play caller."
When does it get to the point of shortening the leash of Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy in the offense?
One of the harsh realities is that McCarthy is basically a rookie quarterback. He missed all of last year with the meniscus injury and only played in one preseason game.
There will have to be some patience from the fan base and the team as McCarthy develops into a consistent starting quarterback. The traits are evident in McCarthy, as he has demonstrated that he can be clutch in big moments, including his touchdown pass with under a minute to go in the loss to the Bears. Fans saw similar play in his three-touchdown performances against the Bears in the first game and the Detroit Lions.
No one said this was going to be a smooth ride with a young quarterback. Were most fans hoping for better results than six touchdowns and eight interceptions thrown in the air in five games? Yes, everyone wants those numbers to be better.
With that being said, McCarthy has that winning drive inside of him that has made him great at every level of football. The Vikings organization and the fan base can't just give up on him after five games.
Give McCarthy time before delivering a final verdict, because this can get better because of O'Connell and the great work he has done with quarterbacks under him.