Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after guiding a fourth quarter comeback in his NFL debut, but through Sunday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, that fourth quarter remains arguably the only positive quarter he's played this season.
McCarthy struggled through a difficult night against Atlanta, facing constant pressure behind an offensive line missing Christian Darrisaw and partially Ryan Kelly. It wasn't until the final minutes of the fourth quarter that McCarthy reached double-digit completions.
McCarthy was a fourth quarter hero for the Vikings in Week 1, and Minnesota found itself in striking distance once again when the fourth quarter began on Sunday night -- but one touchdown drive, let alone three, wasn't in the cards this time.
Here's what you need to know about McCarthy's performance against the Falcons and where the former Michigan quarterback could go from here.
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J.J. McCarthy stats vs. Falcons
Final score: Falcons 22, Vikings 6
- Comp/Att: 11/21
- Passing yards: 158
- Touchdowns: 0
- Interceptions: 2
- Sacks: 6
McCarthy completed only 11 passes in a 22-6 loss to the Falcons, tossing two interceptions and absorbing six sacks. His passer rating of 37.5 was easily the worst of any starting quarterback from Sunday's slate of games, trailing Patrick Mahomes' mark of 72.0.
While numbers might only tell part of the story for quarterbacks, McCarthy didn't exactly pass the eye test, either. He nearly threw another interception to Falcons rookie Billy Bowman Jr., and he missed a major opportunity to breathe life into the Vikings' offense when he overthrew an open Jalen Nailor downfield.
What a pick by Bowman Jr.! @AtlantaFalcons
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2025
ATLvsMIN on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/TmHuz3x3K6
Through two games, McCarthy's numbers in seven of his eight quarters of play are troubling. His fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears, on the other hand, was electrifying with three total touchdowns.
J.J. McCarthy through 2 games if you take away the 4th quarter in Week 1:
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) September 15, 2025
18/32
214 yards
0 TD
3 INT
1 fumble pic.twitter.com/TcMgRysICM
For the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL, the hope is that one quarter in Chicago is something Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings can tap into. That wasn't the case in Sunday night's home opener.
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What's next for J.J. McCarthy?
The Vikings fully committed to McCarthy when they let Sam Darnold walk and passed on an interested Aaron Rodgers. At this point, even with a former starter in Carson Wentz on the bench, keeping McCarthy under center is just about Minnesota's only option.
The Vikings, by all indications, were always going to give McCarthy a full season to work through any issues and prove himself as the team's long-term quarterback. Minnesota has reason to believe better days can be ahead, from McCarthy's explosive fourth quarter in Week 1 to the fact he played behind a leaky offensive line against Atlanta. McCarthy also has a suspended Jordan Addison coming back in Week 4.
In a loaded NFC North, however, the Vikings risk falling behind, with Jordan Love playing some of his best football and the Lions proving Sunday that their offense might be just fine.
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If McCarthy continues to play like he did Sunday night, the coaching staff might still believe in him -- but will his teammates? Cameras showed a seemingly dejected Justin Jefferson on the sideline Sunday as the Falcons worked to extend their lead, and frustration will only build if the Vikings' passing game is stalled.
Fortunately for Minnesota, a shaky Cincinnati Bengals defense is next on the schedule. The Vikings' defense will look to go to work against backup QB Jake Browning, while McCarthy will hope for a softer landing with Darrisaw potentially on his way back.