Struggles related to inexperience have been front-and-center for the world to see in J.J. McCarthy's last two games starting under center for the Minnesota Vikings. During the previous two weeks, McCarthy has only completed 48.6 percent of his passes for 398 yards (199 per game), two touchdowns, and four interceptions.
It hasn't been good, but he's only started a total of five times in his short NFL career, and the Vikings have been attempting to develop him in the starting lineup instead of making him learn from the bench.
On Wednesday, McCarthy was open about some of the specifics he needs to improve moving forward in order to get closer to reaching the potential that Minnesota believes he has.
"I would say just my posture. The way that I'm processing the defense in terms of I know what I'm getting, but let the rhythm of the play play out. You know, don't be getting to that answer too quick because it's a timing and rhythm of the concepts and the defenses.
And just decision-making. Just understanding the situation of the game, not just the concept that I'm trying to execute.
Understand, like, for instance, that first pick last game, it's four minutes going into half, we're on our own side of the territory, and just understand what that risk factor should be and go from there.
So I'd say those things."
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy might actually be heading into a pair of favorable matchups
On the horizon for McCarthy and the Vikings are a pair of road matchups against the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. Minnesota will head to Wisconsin for an NFC North showdown against the Packers this weekend, and then next Sunday, the Vikings will fly to the Pacific Northwest to attempt to get a win over Sam Darnold and the Seahawks.
Unlike Minnesota's previous two opponents, the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay and Seattle are much tougher on the defensive side of the ball.
This season, the Seahawks rank fourth in the league in points allowed per opposing offensive drive, and the Packers rank 13th in that same category. Seattle and Green Bay have both performed very well against the pass and the run as well this year, so it's not going to be easy for the Vikings to move the ball on either team.
Oddly enough, however, McCarthy has played significantly better on the road this season than he has inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
In his two starts outside of Minnesota, he's completed 60 percent of his passes, accounted for six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing), only thrown two interceptions, and all of this as resulted in a passer rating of 89.7.
During the three games that he's been a starter on the Vikings' home field this season, he's completed just 49.5 percent of his passes, only accounted for a total of two touchdowns (two passing), thrown four interceptions, and wound up with a miserable 49.5 passer rating.
If McCarthy can continue to have success on the road, then the chances of Minnesota escaping Green Bay with a win on Sunday are going to be much higher than anticipated.