Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is not ready to jump off the JJ McCarthy train, no matter how ugly the ride has looked lately.
McCarthy just turned in his roughest outing yet, a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers, where he went 12-of-19 for 87 yards with two interceptions, as the Vikings totaled only six points and fell to 4-7 on the season. Through six starts, the rookie owns 929 passing yards with six touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 24.8 QBR, one of the lowest marks in the league via ESPN.
Still, Jefferson’s tone stays steady via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “It’s early,” Jefferson said. “He’s new to the game. He’s new to the NFL. He’s learning just like everyone else has to learn as a rookie … I feel like he’s going to bounce back in a different way than everybody else is going to think so.”
Jefferson has every reason to be frustrated. His receiving average has dropped to 53 yards per game in McCarthy’s starts, down more than 40 percent from his career pace. But instead of blasting the quarterback, Jefferson keeps highlighting McCarthy’s arm talent, poise, and day-to-day work.
The Vikings know the numbers are brutal, and the film backs it up. CBS Sports broke down how McCarthy’s hurried footwork and inconsistent base are killing his velocity and accuracy, leading to the turnovers piling up. Minnesota’s staff believes those mechanics can be fixed, not that McCarthy is a lost cause.
For now, the 22-year-old has to watch. McCarthy entered the concussion protocol after the loss at Lambeau Field, and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer is tracking to start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
The outside noise will keep getting louder. Jefferson and the Vikings, though, keep betting that this version of McCarthy is just the painful prologue, not the whole story.
