For the second week in a row, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy walked off the field on Sunday after finishing a game with a completion rate over 62 percent, multiple touchdown passes, and a passer rating over 105.0.
Before last week's win over the Washington Commanders, McCarthy hadn't ended a matchup with a passer rating over 100.0 all season long. And after his performance in Minnesota's victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, he's now accomplished it in two straight games.
Following the Vikings' win over the Cowboys, McCarthy spoke with NBC's Melissa Stark and shared why things have begun to finally slow down for him in his last two starts.
"I think just experience. Getting to my eighth game today, just feeling more and more comfortable in the pocket, seeing the defenses.
But it makes it really easy when you have an offensive line that plays like that, when you have running backs that run like that, and receivers that catch and get open like they did today.
So, I'm just another piece of the puzzle and very grateful to be here."
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy continues to head in right direction in Week 15 win over Dallas Cowboys
Almost immediately in Sunday's game against Dallas, McCarthy was given an opportunity to go back to looking like a struggling first-year starter when his first pass was tipped and landed in the mitts of Cowboys defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
But McCarthy didn't do that. Instead, he literally laughed off the pick and went on to complete eight of his next 12 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, in addition to adding six more points to Minnesota's side of the scoreboard with a one-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
All year long, even as he's performed like the absolute worst quarterback in the NFL, many have been saying that McCarthy needs more reps, and it's way too early to give up on him.
Judging by the previous two weeks, those who have been making these claims have been proven right, and there's no reason to think this won't continue to be the case during the Vikings' final three games of the season when he's able to gain even more valuable experience.