J.J. McCarthy evidently hasn't set the NFL on fire as a rookie, but Minnesota Vikings fans have every reason to believe they found their franchise QB. Before injuring his hand last weekend, McCarthy finally turned a corner in his development after accumulating the two best starts of his career in the weeks prior.
The 22-year-old still has a lengthy road ahead of him before he develops into a star, but the flashes have been there. Unfortunately, with him sidelined, fans had to watch undrafted rookie Max Brosmer take the field against the Detroit Lions, and against all odds, he helped lead them to a stunning upset.
The Vikings' 23-10 win helped eliminate the Lions from playoff contention, but it wasn't pretty. The Lions turned the ball over six times since Dan Campbell had no answers for Brian Flores' mastery, while Brosmer once again proved he has no business being an NFL starter under any circumstance.
Max Brosmer has been making J.J. McCarthy look like prime Tom Brady
In the win, the 24-year-old completed just nine passes for 51 yards, which is far from a winning statline. Luckily, both Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones scored rushing touchdowns as the majority of Minnesota's offensive output came on the ground since Kevin O'Connell clearly doesn't trust him.
And as much as I hate to say it, it's hard to blame KOC for this one. He threw four interceptions in his first career start against the Seahawks, and he nearly squandered a lead to the New York Giants last weekend, and they're 2-13 and are tied with the Raiders the worst record in the NFL right now.
Earlier this season, Carson Wentz was at least adequate in lieu of J.J., but Brosmer isn't. He was never anything special at Minnesota, but it is cool to see a local kid get a shot to live out a childhood dream, even if it hasn't ended with the success Brosmer and O'Connell were expecting.
McCarthy has improved considerably throughout the season, but his main roadblock in his path to success are injury woes. The Michigan product missed all of last season due to a torn meniscus, and has played in just nine games this season due to a plethora of different season-defining ailments.
Whether you love him or hate McCarthy, it's hard to deny that he is unequivocally the best option this team has—and all it took for fans to see that was another paltry showing from Brosmer on Christmas Day, and even so, the Vikings still managed to find a way to prevail.