After an embarrassing 37-10 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, the Minnesota Vikings now have somewhat of a mini-bye, as they'll take the rest of the month off before heading to the Motor City for a crucial contest with the Detroit Lions in Week 9 on November 2.
All signs point to J.J. McCarthy making his return that afternoon at Ford Field, and even if the second-year signal-caller isn't 100 percent ready to go, he still needs to get the start.
McCarthy, of course, suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Vikings' Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and hasn't taken the field since, although he has at least been healthy enough to serve as Minnesota's emergency quarterback the last two games.
There was a little hope that he could go against the Bolts, but it was ultimately decided that he just wasn't quite ready. But again, even if the Michigan alum is a little less than 100 percent when Week 9 rolls around, he still needs to be under center against the Lions, as Carson Wentz has regressed something fierce.
Carson Wentz isn't getting it done, and it's time for J.J. McCarthy to get back into the mix
Look, Wentz deserves all the credit in the world for stepping in and helping the Vikes to two wins in his first three starts following McCarthy's injury.
But after completing 69.0 percent of his throws for 759 yards with five touchdowns against a pair of interceptions in those first three games, the 10th-year veteran has been dreadful coming out of the bye. Sure, he threw for 313 yards this past Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, but he also completed what was then a season-low 61.5 percent of his throws, failed to throw a touchdown, and tossed two interceptions in the 28-22 loss.
And in Thursday night's loss to the Chargers, he looked even worse, completing a new season-low 56.9 percent of his passes for just 144 yards, his lowest total of the season, with a touchdown (which meant nothing) and an awful overthrow for an interception.
Sure, Wentz hasn't been healthy in his own right, and he got banged up on several occasions on Thursday night. But injuries can't be blamed for some of the throws he's made these last two games, and it's time for him to take his place back on the bench.
When McCarthy's injury occurred, he was initially listed as "week-to-week," but was then given a recovery timetable of four to six weeks. When Minnesota takes on the Lions, he'll be seven weeks removed, so it's simply time for the Vikings to see what they've got, as getting real game reps is the only way he's going to get better.
They got a glimpse of what he can do, of course, with that miraculous fourth-quarter comeback against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 when McCarthy threw for two touchdowns and ran in another to lead Minnesota to an improbable 27-24 victory. But the other seven quarters he's played didn't go nearly as well. So, again, he just needs to get some reps.
And while throwing McCarthy to the Lions' defense may not be the most ideal situation in his first game back, this is just what needs to happen for the Vikings to have any chance of turning their season around.