The Minnesota Vikings gave J.J. McCarthy his first game action as the backup quarterback Saturday, and his opening snap against the New York Giants offered an awkward reminder of why he’s now QB2. A play meant to get the offense moving sent McCarthy directly into a crowd for no gain.
McCarthy’s first assignment was supposed to be a jet-sweep handoff. The timing disappeared during the exchange, so he kept the ball, followed his blockers and found the least inviting route available. His afternoon eventually finished at 4-of-7 for 34 yards in Minnesota’s 13-10 win.
After Kevin O’Connell named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback earlier in the week, Murray opened the game with the first-team offense. McCarthy then took over with the second unit and played most of the first half, giving Minnesota another opportunity to evaluate him following an inconsistent, injury-plagued 2025 season. His afternoon, however, started off on the wrong foot.
J.J. McCarthy laughs off messy opening snap in Minnesota Vikings win over Giants
McCarthy’s postgame explanation was almost as entertaining as the play itself. The 23-year-old didn’t try to dress up a busted play that everyone in the stadium had already seen.
“Yeah, timing was a little bit off,” McCarthy said after the game. “That’s what preseason football is for, but just followed a lot of guys in front of me. It was picking right or left, and I chose the wall in front of me.”
The play gave McCarthy two choices, and he chose the wrong one. He could’ve blamed the missed exchange or traffic from the second-team offense, but poking fun at himself fit the moment better than a drawn-out explanation. The mistake didn’t prove costly, and Minnesota’s win made it easier to laugh off afterward.
First play for JJ McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/QSVgbk41Br
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 15, 2026
O’Connell also pointed to the jet-sweep timing as one of the details Minnesota must clean up. His offense uses motion to create leverage and force defenders to communicate, but the quarterback and ball carrier have to meet at the right spot for it to work. One mistimed step can turn a promising perimeter run into what McCarthy encountered. Murray’s promotion leaves McCarthy working with fewer opportunities, so the backup offense needs to make those snaps count.
Saturday’s numbers give McCarthy and the second-team offense a useful correction before back-to-back joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday and Thursday. Minnesota hosts Baltimore at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 22.
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