Is it too soon to panic about the Vikings? Star Tribune Sports Columnist Jim Souhan joined me on WJON. He says 2nd year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has played 8 regular quarters and 7 of them have been bad. The only good one was the 4th quarter in week 1 in Chicago where he led the Vikings to a come from behind win against the Bears.
Offensive Line Struggles
Souhan says the offensive line injuries and struggles didn’t help McCarthy out Sunday night and the running game also wasn’t as good as it could have been. He feels the receivers did what they could considering the circumstances. Souhan indicates the lack of help from the offensive line and the running game doesn’t excuse McCarthy’s overall performance.
McCarthy’s Performance
Souhan is concerned about the 2 interceptions McCarthy’s has thrown this season on out routes. He says they tend to define you as a quarterback. Souhan isn’t convinced McCarthy won’t get better. He says there are lots of examples of quarterbacks who struggled early in their career and they became great. Souhan indicates in recent history we expect young quarterbacks to be good right out of the gate. He says McCarthy is a talented guy with charisma but the question is can he get better quick enough to help the team this season.
Expectations Have Changed
Souhan says his expectations for the Vikings have now changed. He thought they’d win the division with 12 wins and now it appears they are the 3rd best team in the division behind Green Bay and Detroit.
Benching?
Could the Vikings bench McCarthy for Carson Wentz? Souhan says you can’t rule it out. Carolina benched Bryce Young for Andy Dalton for a few games last season before going back to him. Souhan says there could be a time where that would be something the Vikings would consider.
If you’d like to listen to my conversation with Jim Souhan, click below. Jim joins me weekday mornings at 7:15 on WJON.
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