J.J. McCarthy’s early run with the New York Giants is starting to shine an awkward light back on Kevin O’Connell.
By late September, the Minnesota Vikings had already moved on from McCarthy, sending him to New York after deciding they were done waiting for him to sort things out. McCarthy, for his part, needed a fresh start if his NFL career was going to get any real momentum.
That reset has looked promising so far. After a strong fourth quarter in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, McCarthy got his first start for the Giants in Week 7 against the Houston Texans and played well. With Kyler Murray struggling, it has become easy to wonder whether McCarthy was cast aside too quickly.
It’s still only five good quarters, and that’s nowhere near enough to declare his career back on track. But the early signs have been positive, and the alternative could have been much uglier.
The bigger issue now is what McCarthy’s start in New York says about O’Connell. Murray’s current struggles have reopened questions about the Vikings coach’s inability to adjust his offense to fit his quarterback. That same conversation followed McCarthy last season, even if injuries made the situation messier.
Questions about O’Connell’s play-calling have been hanging around for a while. He has repeatedly drawn criticism for not changing course when the game plan stops working, and there have been plenty of games where that stubbornness has cost his team.
The Giants, meanwhile, have been quick to praise McCarthy since he arrived. Coaches have pointed to his maturity and calm demeanor, two traits he didn’t consistently show during his injury-shortened season as Minnesota’s starter.
As New York comes out of its bye and prepares for Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles, McCarthy was asked what has been working for him within the offensive scheme and what offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is asking him to do.
The answer didn’t mention O’Connell by name, but it didn’t need to. McCarthy’s praise for Nagy - a coach who wouldn’t be considered one of the NFL’s elite offensive minds - landed as a clear contrast to what he experienced in Minnesota.
He may not have meant to take a shot at his former head coach. But when McCarthy explained what’s helping him in New York, that’s exactly how it came across. And he wasn’t wrong to point out the difference he’s seeing up close.
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