Why Sam Darnold may have sealed JJ McCarthy’s fate after Vikings misses

Don’t go putting JJ McCarthy in different uniforms – including the Giants – just yet.

Sam Darnold’s second straight Jets-style performance in a prime-time game, this one ending the Vikings’ season Monday night in a 27-9 loss to the Rams, may have contributed to solidify Minnesota’s decision-makers on how they should handle their next game. quarterback controversy.

While Darnold deserves kudos, applause and maybe even the Comeback Player of the Year award for leading the Vikings to a 14-4 record, the reality is that he folded in both biggest games of the season.

McCarthy, the Vikings’ 10th pick in last year’s NFL draft, is now waiting in the wings.

Some had speculated whether the Vikings should trade McCarthy due to Darnold’s rise, but those two ugly performances against the Lions and Rams are warts that will be difficult to shake off.

Darnold, 27, looked like the Jets’ former bust in those games, taking bad sacks, making bad throws and leading his team to nine points in both games.

He’s completed just 43 of 81 throws (53.1 percent) for 411 yards with one touchdown and one interception over the past two weeks, including Monday’s 25 of 40 that included the touchdown and interception. He also lost a fumble for a touchdown in the blowout playoff loss.

“I feel like I left a few throws that I could have been better at,” Darnold said. “Too many mistakes on my part. …I definitely haven’t played well enough the last few weeks.

It’s possible the Vikings could still use the franchise tag on Darnold, but offering him a lucrative deal and trading McCarthy after these back-to-back misses would raise some flags.

For now, this season – the best of his career – is the outlier in a career that has included far too many disappointing seasons with the Jets and Panthers.

Darnold said he’s not worried about how these two weeks will affect his future.

“It’s very important that we all reflect on Sam’s body of work, what he was able to do this year, when few people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins.” , said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “It ultimately didn’t work, and I think Sam would be the first to tell you that. Could he have played better tonight? I’m sure he would tell you he could have. …Sam, and the trip that he and I took this year, will always be something that will always hold a special place in my heart, that’s for sure.

That’s not to say that McCarthy, 21, is a surefire, can’t-miss prospect and this move is a no-brainer.

He’s had two knee surgeries since tearing his meniscus over the summer and hasn’t played a single game in the NFL. There were even some who wondered about his ceiling when he entered the championship.

But having a quarterback on a rookie contract is the NFL’s biggest cheat code — aside from Patrick Mahomes — and the Vikings believe in McCarthy enough to have selected him in the top 10.

Teams have to make decisions based on championship aspirations — well, maybe the Giants don’t — and Darnold, when it mattered, didn’t look like a quarterback capable of leading a team down the dirt promised.

There are unknowns with McCarthy, including his ceiling and floor.

“Far too many negatives,” O’Connell said. “Really, in the last two weeks, too many negative plays that put you behind.”

If the Vikings choose to let Darnold enter free agency, that would be a possible option for teams in need of a quarterback like the Giants or possibly the Browns.

And in that scenario, the Vikings hope their first-round pick can thrive in those critical games where Darnold, during an otherwise great season, looked like he was seeing ghosts again.

“At the end of the day, all that matters is when you have a good season, what do you do in the playoffs?” » said Darnold. “We didn’t make it and that’s all that matters.”