...his slight frame was his biggest red flag coming into the league. Was charmed last year, but not so much now. He's been injured this year, came back last night, now has what looks like a very serious elbow injury that will keep him out for the rest of the year. Washington's D is also horrible and old. What a change from last season for the Commanders. 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/seaha...ball/live/

"We saw a lot of things that he's capable of doing," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. "And we saw some things that as he continues his ascension and his growth, he'll only get better and better at."

He (McCarthy) said afterward that he doesn't believe in a "clutch" trait and that he got plenty of help Sunday, but it was hard to ignore McCarthy stepping up in the fourth quarter once again -- this time in front of thousands of fans who once rooted for him at Michigan.

"I'm happy that we got the win, but I'm not proud, to be honest with you," McCarthy said. "There's a lot of meat on the bone, and I feel like I could have played a lot better. But coming into this environment and controlling my emotions, controlling my temperament going into it, I was proud of that."

Keep in mind this was his 3rd start in the NFL. He's 22. He played in Chicago, where he was born and raised, on MNF. Now just played in the state where he went to college and has a ton of attachment and emotion to. Won. Controlling his emotions indeed. Mentally you can see he's smart, has a control of the huddle and offense, knows the plays. Hell, he audibled out of a few for nice gains. But he's still learning. And he'll be less amped up as he gets more experience and won't miss a few easy throws I'm sure he'd love to have back on the run. His teammates love him. He may miss a few opportunities until he gets more reps, but in the 4th quarter when something is required, he's going to step up....not shrink up. He's tough as nails, doesn't mind taking a big hit after a pass. One game at a time, but this was a big win on the road against a big dog...and we got a dog at QB. Onward.

Yes he did some improvs, yes, there were some miscommunications with RBs, yes, it wasn't pretty.
But some obvious called QB keepers?  N I C E.

To see hope with my 22 year old QB...

Great throw and catch with Nailor to seal this one...

Brady sure luvs him some JJM. Hope Stickier got to enjoy this one. 

2-0 that's big

WHAT A WIN! Turns out the sky isn't falling, our coaches can still coach, our GMs can still GM, and our QB CAN SLING IT.

Really nice road win against a good team. Great job, Vikings.

Let's see what this team can do without half the starters being hurt and having to navigate bye weeks, Eurotrips, and TNF games. Methinks it can do well!

SOUND THE GJALLARHORN~ Hmm-HMMMM!

clutch throw clutch catch

Boom! 

Let's freaking go!

https://vikingsterritory.com/2025/news/t...ings-lions

1. Win the Damn Turnover Battle
The Vikings intercepted opponents’ passes 24 times last season — 24 times. This year, Minnesota has logged three picks. The discrepancy is glaring. The mission and outcome are pretty damn clear when O’Connell coaches a football team: when his squad wins the turnover battle or breaks even, it wins. When it doesn’t, they lose.

2. Run the Football, Do It Efficiently, and Don’t Abandon the Run
No Vikings tailback, fullback, or quarterback has topped 57 rushing yards in a game since Week 3. Put another way — it’s been six straight weeks without anyone cracking 60 on the ground. When the team has fallen behind on the scoreboard — and even when it hasn’t — the Vikings abandon the run and throw the ball with a mediocre passer like Carson Wentz under center. This doesn’t work. Minnesota must run the ball efficiently and run it often. If McCarthy is asked to throw 40 times or more, the purple team will lose.

3. Competent Play from J.J. McCarthy
Speaking of McCarthy, good lord, does this man need an impressive game to tame the fears of Vikings fans. Everyone’s last memory of him was a heinous Week 2 showing, in which McCarthy looked lost, silly, and unprepared. Folks can dissect Minnesota from head to toe this season, hoping to find out why it has a losing record. But the fact remains that quarterback play is the smoking gun. For example, if Wentz had not failed to see a couple of open receivers against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, his team would be 4-3 right now, not 3-4. The vibes would be markedly, markedly different.

4. Defensive Containment
Perhaps the magic potion is holding Detroit under 30 points. That would mean defensive containment is the answer. Fans should understand that the Lions will “get theirs,” but anything at 30 or more will result in another loss.