After a rough NFL debut back in Week 13 against the Seahawks-a game where nothing seemed to go right-rookie quarterback Max Brosmer found himself back under center for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and this time, the story was a whole lot different.
Brosmer entered the game in the third quarter after J.J. McCarthy went down with an injury, and while his stat line was modest-just seven pass attempts-his impact was anything but. He looked far more composed, far more confident, and, most importantly, far more ready.
The highlight? A sharp 21-yard strike to Justin Jefferson in the fourth quarter that had head coach Kevin O’Connell singing his praises postgame.
And for good reason. The throw wasn’t just accurate-it was advanced.
O’Connell broke it down afterward, noting the coverage was an “inverted two-deep,” with the corners playing the deep halves. That’s not a look most rookies diagnose quickly, let alone exploit with a perfectly placed pass over the flat defender.
But Brosmer did just that, threading the ball into a tight window and giving Jefferson the chance to make a play.
"Max stepping in-how about that?" O’Connell said. "Functioning at a high level, throwing some completions here and there, running the show... made some great decisions with our can system in the run game."
That’s not coach-speak for “he managed the game.” That’s a head coach recognizing a young quarterback who took command of the offense in a pressure moment and made smart, decisive plays-both through the air and at the line of scrimmage.
Now, with McCarthy’s status still up in the air, the Vikings may need Brosmer to do more than just fill in. They may need him to start. And that possibility, while nerve-wracking just a few weeks ago, now feels a bit more manageable.
Minnesota’s final two games of the regular season are at home inside U.S. Bank Stadium-a far cry from the hostile environment in Seattle that overwhelmed Brosmer during his first start. And while the defenses coming up aren’t cakewalks, they’re not the chaos-inducing Seahawks unit that gave the rookie fits either.
We’ll likely get more clarity on McCarthy’s condition in the next day or two, but don’t be surprised if Brosmer is the one leading the huddle when the Vikings take the field on Christmas Day against the Detroit Lions. If Sunday was any indication, he might be more ready for that moment than anyone expected.