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The Minnesota Vikings may have been out of playoff contention for a couple of weeks, but head coach Kevin O’Connell’s team has won 3 games in a row to move within 1 game of .500 at 7-8. Their latest triumph was a 16-13 road victory over the New York Giants, and the decisive points came with starting QB J.J. McCarthy on the bench with an injured hand and backup Max Brosmer under center.
After the game, O’Connell reported that McCarthy appeared to avoid a serious injury and that X-rays revealed that the Vikings quarterback did not suffer a broken bone. Further tests are expected, but the Vikings are not expecting to find a serious injury to McCarthy’s throwing hand.
Injuries have been McCarthy’s primary concern since he was selected with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He missed all of his rookie season after tearing his meniscus, and he has missed six games this season due to an ankle sprain (5 games) and a concussion (1 game)
McCarthy suffered the injury late in the first half. Edge rusher Brian Burns sacked McCarthy with 25 seconds left and he fumbled the ball. It was picked up by Tyler Nubin and he returned it 27 yards for the Giants’ only touchdown of the game.
Prior to his injury, McCarthy completed 9 of 14 passes for 108 yards with 1 interception. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of that performance was that he was able to find Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson for multiple catches in the first half. Prior to this game, the McCarthy-Jefferson connection had not been productive.
Jefferson caught a team-high 6 passes for 85 yards. Running back Aaron Jones was solid with his ability to run between the tackles. He gained 85 yards on 21 carries with a long run of 15 yards.
McCarthy scored the Vikings’ touchdown in the second quarter, extending a 6-3 lead to 13-3 when he scrambled 12 yards for a touchdown with 2:01 left in the first half.
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