J.J. McCarthy kept the momentum rolling on Sunday, and that’s not exactly helping Vikings fans feel any better about the trade.
In his first start for the New York Giants, the former Minnesota quarterback helped deliver a 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans. McCarthy finished 20 of 28 for 252 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 7.
The Giants gave him the nod after his strong fourth-quarter work the week before, and the move paid off right away. McCarthy did what New York needed from him, even if the box score wasn’t built on touchdown throws. The Giants also leaned heavily on the ground game, piling up 188 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
For Minnesota supporters who were already skeptical about sending him to New York for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, the last two weeks have only fueled the argument that the Vikings may have moved on too soon. McCarthy’s recent play hasn’t been the issue. The issue in Minnesota was that he couldn’t consistently stack quality games, whether because of injury or simply uneven play.
Against Houston, he came out sharp. In the first half, he completed 9 of 12 passes for 178 yards, averaging 14.8 yards per attempt.
After halftime, though, the Texans tightened things up and cut down his influence. McCarthy threw for just 74 yards on 16 attempts over the final two quarters and overtime, a 4.6-yard average per throw.
The Giants have next week off, giving McCarthy extra time before they return in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In Other News...
Vikings Keep Winning But One Concern Is Getting Harder To Ignore
The Vikings kept their perfect start rolling with a home win over the Colts, and the formula looked familiar enough by now. Defense and special teams did most of the heavy lifting, while Will Reichard continued his remarkable run with a franchise-record field goal streak and the offense did just enough to stay in front, including a touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to T.J. Hockenson.
Still, the latest win also added to a growing concern that is getting harder to brush aside. Even with Minnesota sitting at 6-0, the offense has not looked as clean or as consistent as the record suggests, and the team keeps leaning on the other phases to carry it through games. In a season where the margin for error is shrinking, that imbalance is becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Be Heading For A Tougher T.J. Hockenson Decision
T.J. Hockensons place in Minnesota has suddenly turned into one of the more interesting contract stories around the Vikings. After the team reworked his deal, he is in the final year of his contract, and his recent usage has reminded everyone why the tight end market can move quickly when production shows up at the right time. He was a major part of the offense in the Week 4 win, catching 13 passes for 119 yards, a sign that his role can still grow when he is featured.
The timing makes the next stretch especially important. Hockenson suffered a concussion in Week 5, which briefly interrupted the momentum he had built, but there is still plenty of season left for him to shape his next payday. If his targets keep climbing and he stays on the field, the Vikings may have a tougher call than they expected when it comes to what he costs beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fans Can Finally Enjoy A Standings Twist Nobody Saw Coming
After seven weeks, the standings have turned into a rare gift for anyone following the NFC North. Minnesota is sitting atop the division and, at this point in the season, the Vikings are the conferences only unbeaten team at 6-0, a mark that has them in an unusually comfortable spot while the rest of the league scrambles to keep pace.
What makes this even more striking is the bigger picture around them. Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay are all above .500, leaving every team in the division in the playoff mix and giving the North a level of depth that has been hard to miss in the early NFC race. The current bracket may still shift plenty from here, but for now the Vikings are enjoying a standings twist nobody around the league would have predicted back in September. [Read more 🡒]