J.J. McCarthy's first start with the New York Giants was nothing short of electric. Say what you will about the young quarterback's processing abilities; he made some throws that few people on the planet can make in the win over the Houston Texans.
His transformation of Matt Nagy's offense has fans believing that Big Blue can carry its NFC East lead straight into the playoffs.
Minnesota Vikings fans won't be convinced quite yet. They've got some experience with the young quarterback, most of it negative. The Vikings saw some flashes of talent from McCarthy that resembled his first five quarters with the Giants, but they never saw consistency from him.
Adam Patrick of The Viking Age, FanSided's Vikings site, said, "Putting up good performances was never the problem for McCarthy in Minnesota. It was the fact that he couldn't string together multiple good games for several weeks in a row due to injury or just lack of skill."
The Giants can't afford to let McCarthy slip into the inconsistency he showed with the Vikings.
Giants need J.J. McCarthy to show the consistency that the Vikings never got from him
To be clear, McCarthy never had a full game with the Vikings that was as impressive as his showing against the Texans in Week 7. The third-year QB was almost perfect in his first Giants start, hitting multiple difficult throws and avoiding mistakes throughout the win. It was the best game of his NFL career without a doubt.
Still, it's just one game. If the G-Men are going to turn this hot start into a playoff appearance, they'll need McCarthy to perform at a high level week in and week out. He doesn't have to be the sole engine of the offense, but he'll need to take care of the ball and step up when needed.
That weight doesn't rest solely on McCarthy's shoulders, though. Nagy needs to find every avenue to take pressure off his quarterback. He did just that in the win over the Texans, leaning on the running game to close out the win in overtime.
The more favorable situations that Cam Skattebo can put McCarthy in, the better. Even if the QB has improved significantly since leaving Minnesota, he's not built to carry an offense on his own. Few quarterbacks are.
He'll need his pass-catchers to step up, too, and it can't just be Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely. A couple of big plays from Malachi Fields made a major difference in Week 7. Support from those role players will be crucial in fostering McCarthy's consistency.
If the structure around him can hold up for the rest of the season, McCarthy can definitively prove the Vikings wrong.
Add us as a preferred source on Google