The Minnesota Vikings won an ugly 16-13 affair in the swamps of Jersey against the New York Giants to improve to 7-8 on the season.
Another injury to J.J. McCarthy overshadowed the victory, this time to his throwing hand. The good news appears to be that there are no broken bones, but his availability for the Christmas Day game on a quick turnaround looks unlikely. If he does indeed miss Thursday’s game, it will mark the seventh time this season he’ll be inactive. He has now missed 24 of 32 (75%) possible games since the start of the 2024 season. Not ideal.
(
NOTE: After Shawn completed his article, the Vikings
did rule McCarthy out for Thursday’s game against Detroit)
WE CAN’T EVEN HAVE THIS
The Minnesota Vikings and nice things go together like ketchup and ice cream. The final five games of the season were all about McCarthy and his development. With the competitive portion of the season over, it was the only thing worth looking forward to. And for once, things looked to be going our way. As a Vikings fan, that’s always a surefire sign that disappointment is making its way to the on-deck circle.
While not as crisp as the previous two outings, there were still plenty of positives to take away from McCarthy’s first-half performance. He made a beautiful play under duress for a possible touchdown pass that Jordan Addison holds onto nine times out of 10. His fourth rushing touchdown of the year was a doozy and flashed the dual-threat potential that made me think he could develop into a smaller Josh Allen. His yards per pass attempt (7.7) remained far above the four games before his concussion, when he failed to hit 6.0. Heck, even his chemistry with Justin Jefferson looked to be improving. Yeah, I know, the interception. C’mon now. Yes, the ball placement could have been better, but Nailor catches that, well, nine times out of 10. Ditto the 96-yard pick-six that was fortunately called back. When it rains, it pours for this freakin’ team.
ONE THING IS CLEAR
But, alas, we’re back in the holding pattern after Brian Burns came unblocked and sent McCarthy to the locker room for the rest of the game. And no, it was not Brian O’Neill’s fault. It was a well-schemed blitz, combined with McCarthy holding the ball too long on a tunnel screen. You try to look for positives in such things, so I guess it’s good the Vikings now know without a shadow of a doubt that they cannot go into 2026 without a top-flight (and costly) backup. I love McCarthy, but you’re only as good as your ability to stay on the field. And so far, he hasn’t been able to do that.
This may ruffle some feathers, but the ideal scenario would be to get Kirk Cousins back here. He looked like a lock to be cut before Michael Penix, Jr. partially tore his ACL. Now the situation is a little murkier. The Falcons may still opt to eat the $35 million in dead money rather than absorb the $57 million cap hit (6th highest in the NFL) to keep him on the roster, not knowing how much he’d even see the field. He’s the only guy who, with 100% confidence, could step right in and execute KOC’s offense at an exceptionally high level. I don’t care if the ideal backup candidate would require some trade capital. The best schematic fit for KOC’s offense is the best schematic fit. If Cousins isn’t cut, go for the next best option. Either way, it must be prioritized come March. The Vikings absolutely can’t go through another season like this. The roster is too good, and the expectations are too high.
Again, the best option for the Vikings is for McCarthy to hit the ground running in September, stay healthy, continue to improve, become elite, and win five Super Bowls over the next 10 years. But at this point, the only fact at hand is that he’s been incredibly injury-prone. You don’t let your wishes father your thoughts. You go with what is known.
FLORES HAS TO BE BACK
At this point, Brian Flores can name his price. Making him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator is a no-brainer. I’ve long been on record saying Flores deserves a second shot at an NFL head-coaching job. It’s beyond overdue. If I had to put money on it, I’d say it’s finally going to happen in a matter of weeks. Selfishly, I hope for a repeat of the Ben Johnson situation in Detroit in 2024, when he opted to stay to wait for the best possible opportunity.
I don’t care who you’re playing. When you hold an NFL offense to 13 (!) net passing yards and six points, you’re in some ridiculous zone of awesomeness. With two weeks to go, the Vikings’ defense is Top 10 in the following categories (among others):
- 3rd in passing yards allowed
- 3rd in EPA/Pass
- 4th in sack %
- 5th in yards per game
- 7th in total EPA
- 8th in EPA/Play
- 10th in sacks
By my calculations, we’d also be fourth in points per game (19.4) if you removed all the offensive blunders that result in direct touchdowns, which, of course, Flores’s unit had nothing to do with. It’s also amazing that we rank so well in so many categories, given that our offense leads the NFL in overall offensive turnovers.
Yes, the run defense took a step back this season, and yes, the lack of turnovers generated matters, but the bottom line is this team has absolutely no right to still have a chance to finish the 2025 season with a winning record. The only reason we are here is Brian Flores.
NOT LYIN’ ABOUT THE LIONS?
I feel dirty even suggesting this, but I’m torn about this Lions game. If McCarthy does indeed sit it out, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we… gulp… lose. If this were the Packers or the Bears, I’d never say that. Yes, we can ruin the Lions’ season. That would be good. But you always need to keep an eye on the future. First, a loss with our backup quarterback would give us a better draft position. We’re currently 15th, but there’s a logjam of eight teams between 6-9 and 8-7. Second, a loss will keep us in last place in the NFC North, and with it, the benefits of a more manageable 2026 schedule. Yes, I know that only affects three games, but would you rather face the Giants, Titans, and Cardinals or the Commanders, Colts, and 49ers/Rams?
It isn’t very meaningful at this point, but this is what I had to say about Week 17 back in May:
Week 17: Detroit Lions: I expect this to have significance for playoff seeding and/or deciding the NFC North crown. I had us win at Ford Field, so I’m not picking us to lose at home. With J.J. McCarthy gaining experience every week, and Flores’s defense (particularly the corners) hitting their stride. Detroit is the known entity; margins for improvement are limited. We get revenge on the Lions this year, not only for Week 18 in 2024, but for going 1-6 beginning with that dreadful December 2021 loss that likely sealed Zimmer’s fate. You know, the one where Detroit came in 0-10-1. T.J. Hockenson grabs a late TD over Kirby Joseph to win it. Oh yeah, that works.
Minnesota Vikings: 28
Detroit Lions: 24
Note to self: Do not write another “crystal-ball” article next spring. If you do, channel George Costanza and do the opposite.
As for everything I stated above about this game, the pros and cons, the cost-benefit analysis, the nuanced perspective, etc. – Just Kidding!!! I never want the Vikings to lose….ever. And to the freakin’ Lions? Pfft. I want to play spoiler and see Dan Campbell’s bunch watch the playoffs from home. I want to lean on that Super Bowl window even more to push it closed. I want it to achieve an airtight seal. And to do it with Max Brosmer? That would almost make up for this disappointing season. Well, no, that’s legit BS, but it would still be highly gratifying.
Minnesota Vikings: 21
Detroit Lions: 20
Happy Holidays!!!
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