Despite losing his rookie QB J.J. McCarthy for the season, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told The Athletic's Dianni Russini he will 'sleep easy' because he knows the team has the 'right guy' in McCarthy.
Despite losing his rookie QB J.J. McCarthy for the season, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told The Athletic's Dianni Russini he will "sleep easy" because he knows the team has the "right guy" in McCarthy.
"In a very short amount of time from rookie minicamp to his performance Saturday night, at home against the Raiders, we saw such growth," O'Connell said. "A guy that had totally bought into the process that we spend a lot of time talking about 'What are we doing in terms of nurturing a quarterback development plan for a player we think can be a really good player. He met us every step of the way.
"Then when you watch him in the huddle and as he's built up his knowledge in our offense, being in the huddle with Justin and Christian Darrisaw, Brian O'Neill, Garrett Bradbury. These guys are used to a veteran quarterback in the huddle. Sam's been really good from a standpoint of his role in really a competition, but J.J. was on the come for sure. I think it's just a credit to him and improvement every day.
"I think it comes back to, for me, our system is really predicated on trying to open up voids, vacancies, attack matchups so that the quarterback just has to worry about pitching and catching. Throwing to, hopefully, open receivers and when they're not, making good decisions, checking the ball down, using his athleticism," O'Connell told Russini.
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