Former Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had early success (albeit two games) with the New York Giants, raising questions about how the team that drafted him in the first round handled his development.
Now, McCarthy’s success could be attributed to having a fresh start or a change of scenery after the last two years in Minnesota. Nonetheless, another option is that the Giants‘ offense better suits the former Top 10 pick.
Perhaps the Vikings’ offense under head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t cater to McCarthy that led to the inconsistency in Minnesota. For whatever reason, the scheme in New York works for the quarterback, and while speaking to the media on Nov. 4, he shared why offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s system works for him.
“I absolutely love his play calling and how he adapts with the flow of the game,” McCarthy told reporters. “He has a beautiful idea and vision going into the game, and most of the time, it carries out.
“But there are times when he’s got to pivot, and seeing him pivot in the last month that I’ve been here has been really exciting to see. It’s just an honor to play for him and execute the football plays with the 10 guys with me in that huddle, and gonna continue to do that.”
J.J. McCarthy on Time in New York After Vikings Trade
Furthermore, it’s been a little over a month since the Vikings decided to trade McCarthy to the Giants, and the young QB reflected on his time in New York after leaving Minnesota.
“I think the way I would describe it is I’m just so blessed,” McCarthy added. “I’m so blessed to be a part of this team, so blessed to be a part of this historic organization. Feeling the love on the outside, it is so motivating to continue to do our job at a high level and keep doing whatever we can to win football games for this organization.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for making it feel like home for me. It means the absolute world. It feels absolutely amazing to put on that blue every single Sunday.”
Donovan McNabb Not Buying Hype Yet on J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy has taken over the starting QB job from Jameis Winston, as he has a passer rating of 95.2 with 495 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in his last two games with the Giants, per StatMuse.
Despite his impressive last two games, former NFL QB Donovan McNabb stated that he isn’t buying the McCarthy hype just yet.
“John [Harbaugh] has incorporated this into what he’s doing with the Giants,” McNabb said during a Nov. 2 appearance on “Up & Adams.” “It’s a run-first approach, running the football downhill with mid-zone and inside-zone concepts. It’s the quick game, along with boots and nakeds to get him outside the pocket.
“So now he looks efficient when he’s connecting on slants, hitches, quick outs, or curls, and occasionally you might get a deep ball up the middle against Cover 2 or something like that.
“Everybody’s saying, ‘Oh, he’s rolling.’ But until you start blitzing him and stopping the run, you force the ball to be in his hands and decisions to be made. That’s when you’ll see the J.J. McCarthy we’ve seen throughout his first couple of years in Minnesota.”
J.J. McCarthy Gets Candid on Giants Offense After Vikings Struggles