For the second week in a row, questions are emerging about whether the Minnesota Vikings gave up on J.J. McCarthy too soon following the New York Giants‘ Week 8 victory over the Houston Texans. The former Vikings first-round pick has shown promise in New York since being traded for a Day 3 draft selection.
Through three games with the Giants, McCarthy has recorded a 95.2 passer rating, throwing for 495 yards with one touchdown and one interception, according to StatMuse. If he can maintain that level of play, New York could have a legitimate opportunity to compete for the NFC East title.
As McCarthy continues to settle in with his new team, the Vikings’ decision to move on from him is likely to remain a topic of discussion. Meanwhile, one current player who is enjoying seeing McCarthy’s success in New York is Green Bay Packers‘ Micah Parsons.
“Football is about consistency,” Parsons said in an Oct. 27 video from Bleacher Report. “Did he show why he was a first-round pick in that game? I’m going to say yes. He joined a system that fits him well. Run, play action, live and die by it. Twenty-eight passes. Now, how many of them were true dropbacks? Not a ton. It was a lot of back-to-back defensive action.
“Every quarterback can’t live in shotgun. What I appreciate about his short run there is that he was consistent. He didn’t cause a lot of problems. He didn’t turn the ball over, which is crucial, and he let his defense win the game. Then his running backs did what they were supposed to do.”
Micah Parsons on Whether J.J. McCarthy Can Led Giants to Playoffs
Moreover, McCarthy and the Giants would have benefitted from the Vikings’ decision to trade their former Top 10 pick. Parsons believes that New York (4-2-1) can reach the playoffs if McCarthy plays as he did against Houston.
“If he can play like that every week, where he can give two passing touchdowns, they get a couple of rushing touchdowns, and they put up 21 points a game, maybe more, maybe some field goals, put him in good positions, no turnovers, play good football, and let that defense play, I think they could win at least another six, seven games, and have you seen Malik Nabers going off? Oh my God,” Parsons added.
Why J.J. McCarthy Is Having Success After Vikings Trade
Meanwhile, former Vikings wideout Cris Carter noted why the team’s former QB is having success in New York since being traded to the Giants midseason from Minnesota.
“The Giants’ offense is a lot simpler than Kevin O’Connell’s offense that the Vikings run,” Carter said on the Oct. 26 edition of the “Fully Loaded Podcast.” “The Giants are a power-running team, and they’re going to do a lot of play-action, which is what he came from. It’s what he did.
“The Vikings have not been a power-running team since No. 44, Chuck Foreman, was running the ball. They were playing outside. The Vikings have been a throwing football team for 40 years. So now you get a better fit.”
Micah Parsons Gets Blunt on J.J. McCarthy’s Success After Vikings Trade