First of all, Carson Wentz did not singlehandedly lose the game for the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s never that simple. He did throw two head-scratching interceptions to put the Vikings in an early hole. However, there were plenty of other lapses and breakdowns that also contributed to the defeat.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday that J.J. McCarthy will not start on Thursday night against the San Diego Chargers as he recovers from a high ankle sprain suffered in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. As a result, Wentz will again take the reins of the Minnesota offense. He hopes to cut down on his mistakes and get in sync with star receiver Justin Jefferson.
Wentz’s Play: A Mixed Bag
Wentz has always been a bit of a “riverboat” gambler, but his two interceptions last week were both poorly thrown balls. On the first one, he misread the coverage and threw it right to Jalyx Hunt, who returned it 42 yards for an Eagles touchdown. On the second one, he heaved a ball downfield intended for Jordan Addison, but it was picked off easily by Philadelphia safety Andrew Mukuba.
Wentz recovered from a poor start and established a rhythm with Addison, who finished the game with 128 receiving yards. However, the deficit proved insurmountable. The Vikings will need to avoid a comparable start to improve their chances against the Chargers tonight. Additionally, while Wentz has established effective communication with Addison, he has only recently started to connect consistently with Jefferson.
Jefferson has seen more than his share of double teams this season. Addison’s three-game suspension, the subpar play of tight end T.J. Hockenson, and the injury to running back Aaron Jones have all contributed. Jones has missed the last four Vikings games. Even so, Jefferson has exceeded one hundred receiving yards in two of the last three games. Jones was just activated for tonight’s game. All of this should help Wentz and the Purple offense solve their red zone doldrums, which was the nail in the coffin for them last game.
McCarthy: Vikings Future Quarterback?
While Wentz is the short-term solution for the Vikings, McCarthy represents their future, and the outlook for him is somewhat gloomy. He has only been healthy for two games in his two-year stint with the team. And during that time, he has only had one quarter of quality play. Minnesota fans were looking forward to welcoming him back this week, but O’Connell wants the young quarterback to have a full week of work under his belt before he returns to the lineup.
Given McCarthy’s status, Wentz will once again be charged with picking up the pieces of the Vikings’ offense. At this stage, there really is no viable alternative. No one is a bigger Max Brosmer fan than I am, but to suggest that the undrafted first-year quarterback is ready to lead a sophisticated NFL offense is a thought not grounded in reality.
And those Kirk Cousins rumors. They’re just that—rumors. First, there is the matter of his salary. Atlanta would have to eat a significant portion of it to move him. The Vikings would be disinclined to fork out the rest to solve a short-term problem. Not to mention, they have kicked those tires before and found them lacking. So, Wentz is it.
Summary and Prediction
My heart wants to believe that Wentz will play error-free football against the Chargers tonight, and the Vikings defense does enough to slow the San Diego offense down to ensure a Minnesota victory. But my sensible head is telling me the opposite.
Wentz throws two picks, and the Purple turn the ball over a total of three times. And Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert lays waste to the suddenly vulnerable Vikings secondary en route to a 35-20 Chargers victory.
