The Minnesota Vikings went into this game looking to prove their relevance. J.J. McCarthy went into this game trying to prove he is worthy of the QB1 label. And for now, everyone got the job done. The Vikings beat the Detroit Lions, 27-24, in Detroit in an upset fashion.
It didn’t come easily. Jared Goff doesn’t ever go away, not with the cast of weapons on the Lions roster. But the Vikings figured out how to hold onto their lead despite Detroit’s impressive fourth-quarter efforts. And man, the NFC North is now wide open with four outstanding teams.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Kevin O’Connell kept the offense friendly to J.J. McCarthy
The Vikings made sure to get Aaron Jones going at the beginning of the game. Minnesota got T.J. Hockenson open underneath. And they set up McCarthy to play from the lead so that he didn’t have to press or force throws or make bad decisions.
Now, McCarthy still made plenty of bad decisions. He took risks. He got lucky early and often on batted balls and with timely penalties. But in this game, it was better to be lucky than good. And there were times when McCarthy was good. He had a really strong first quarter, not just because of the two touchdowns but also because he connected deep downfield with Jordan Addison to set up one of those touchdowns. And then in the third quarter, McCarthy rushed for a touchdown, showing the athleticism that made him a dual threat at Michigan.
McCarthy can’t live up to his first-round draft status in one game. That’ll take years. But he does need to urgently justify the Vikings’ decision to make him QB1, especially given that Minnesota let Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold leave this offseason. For McCarthy, this was a good-enough start.
J.J. McCarthy finds the end zone with nine-yard TD rush, extending Vikings’ lead over Lions | NFL Highlights
2. All the early coddling set up McCarthy for a key late completion
O’Connell’s philosophy on quarterbacks is to keep them from hurting themselves. To keep them out of hard situations. To protect them from harsh exposure.
That’s all well and good, but stuff happens and quarterbacks get thrust into those big moments whether a coach likes it or not. So, there was McCarthy on third-and-5, a throwing down if the Vikings trusted their young QB enough to win it for them. If they didn’t trust him, they could run the ball (accepting that they probably wouldn’t convert a first down) and see if their defense could win it.
So, what did O’Connell do? He trusted his quarterback. And McCarthy delivered, hitting wide receiver Jalen Nailor with a back-shoulder throw for a third-down conversion and a first-down pickup.
McCarthy’s former teammates and coaches will tell you again and again that he’s clutch. That he’s built differently. That his body of work is worth more than the sum of his traits. Well, here’s a play that proves those folks right.
3. Jared Goff can’t beat Brian Flores’ blitz
Without the blitz, Goff was 17-of-23 for 210 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, a 130.7 passer rating and 9.1 yards per attempt. Against the blitz? He was 8-of-14 for 74 yards with a 71.7 passer rating and 5.3 yards per attempt, per Next Gen Stats.
Translation: He just wasn’t the same guy against an extra rusher.
It was a similar story against pressure. Goff was 6 of 15 for 71 yards with a 55.1 passer rating at 4.7 yards per attempt. His completion percentage above expected was -6.9.
Translation: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores made him look bad.
Anyone who knows ball knows that Goff is among the league’s best and most consistent pocket passers, but even Tom Brady (who was calling the game) occasionally had trouble with an elite pass-rush like the Vikings threw at Goff. This is why mobile throwers are so popular in the NFL right now. Goff needs a pocket, whereas someone like Josh Allen doesn’t.
Flores’ unit was tailor-made to stop Goff, and it threw the entire Lions offense for a whirl. You could see that in the penalties (10 penalties for 76 yards) and even the kicking game, which saw the Vikings block a rare field goal attempt from the Lions.
This game was more proof that Flores is one of the brightest defensive minds in the NFL.
4. The NFC North is wide freaking open
The Packers lost. The Bears won. And of course, the Vikings beat the Lions. So, here’s an updated look at what is probably the NFL’s most competitive division:
Packers: 5-2-1
Lions: 5-3
Bears: 5-3
Vikings: 4-4
Which team is most talented? Which team is best coached? Which team has the best QB? Which team is best?
If you ask four different people, you might get four different answers.
4 ½. What’s next?
The Vikings have a matchup upcoming against a team whose season has gone eerily similar to how their year has gone. An injured QB1. And a lackluster start — despite playoff expectations.
Yup, I’m talking about the Ravens. Lamar Jackson will travel to Minnesota to contend with this impressive defense — and this young QB. Both teams will be desperate for wins. They both have playoff-caliber rosters. It’s just that their records are yet to show it.
The Lions have the Commanders next week, and it’ll be interesting to see how Washington’s Sunday night matchup goes against the Seahawks. Jayden Daniels hasn’t played since Oct. 19 and returns on Sunday night. Either way, the Commanders are going to come into their Week 10 matchup hungry. They will want to get back into the playoff mix.
Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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