Easy Does It For J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings pitched a shutout last Sunday against the Washington Commanders. The offense put up its second-highest point total of the season in the 31-0 win. The game felt melancholic, with the fanbase and the team desperate for a win. Alas, Minnesota's offense looked like a smooth-running operation for all four quarters, even gutting out a 19-play, 98-yard, and 12-minute drive.

Entering Week 14, J.J. McCarthy showed that maybe Kevin O'Connell's offense was a bit much for him in his first season. The layering, speed, and nuances of O'Connell's offense are simple in theory, but it still requires the right pair of eyes to execute it.

Last week, it seemed like O'Connell stripped the playbook down to the bare bones to bring out the best in McCarthy. It led to an efficient day through the air. McCarthy finished with a quarterback rating of 129.2 and three touchdowns.

It was evident from the first offensive drive of the game what McCarthy's day would look like. He threw a touch pass to Jalen Nailor, who was coming across the formation, and the Vikings found themselves inside the 30-yard line quickly. He hit T.J. Hockenson on a 10-yard out on the play before. The ball was coming out of McCarthy's hand fast without him overthinking things.

The 18-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver to end that drive came on a seam route. McCarthy was decisive in getting the ball there quickly before the linebacker could come across the left side of the field. In doing so, he took advantage of the cushiony Cover 2 that Washington was playing.

It was never supposed to be rocket science. Still, the boring, bland rendition of this offense, balancing the run and pass alike, proved to be most efficient last Sunday. It was the quick-to-deep outs, in-breaking routes, and downfield screens that got the job done.

The Washington Commanders are ranked in the bottom three in almost all defensive categories, particularly against the pass. Still, perhaps that was the exact kind of opponent to showcase a slow-paced, first-read operation that also leaned on the running game.

It was also encouraging to see some more designed quick hitters to Justin Jefferson.

Although Jefferson only had two receptions for 11 yards, this downfield screen pass to him was worth highlighting. Kevin O'Connell should call plays like this more frequently throughout every game. The whole idea behind McCarthy running point on this offense was to get the ball into the playmaker's hands as quickly as possible.

It didn't hurt that the Vikings also ran for 162 yards on the ground on a combined 27 rushing attempts from Aaron Jones Sr., Jordan Mason, and Xavier Scott. With the offensive line at full strength, there was no issue moving the ball upfield in the run game, which made McCarthy's day easier. The defense contributed more than its fair share, generating three turnovers and giving the offense short fields.

Minnesota's approach was nothing new, or rather, it isn't supposed to be. It was the formula for success regarding this roster all year long. The defense bears the load of keeping other teams out of the end zone while providing short fields. The running game slows things down for McCarthy, and McCarthy gets the ball out quickly and simply. All were staples of what we thought would be a winning operation.

It undoubtedly was a good day for "Nine." Still, there was a play where Jefferson was able to stutter and go past Washington's secondary, leaving him wide open. McCarthy didn't let the ball go and settled for a short-yardage scramble instead. With decent protection on that play, and room to throw on the run for what would have been a sure-fire touchdown, one would still like to see McCarthy see these opportunities more clearly.

It's going to be a long process, possibly one that extends into next season. But this is the route that Minnesota's coaching staff and front office have chosen. With what has to be a 1% or less chance of making the postseason for the team, the last four games of the season would still be beneficial if we can see more of this efficiency from McCarthy through a simplified assignment on the field.