Latest news with #JJMcCarthy
CBS News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- CBS News
McCarthy makes brief return to help lead Vikings to 20-10 preseason win over Texans
J.J. McCarthy was solid in his brief return for the Vikings, going 4 of 7 for 30 yards while leading a scoring drive in his only series and Minnesota topped the Houston Texans 20-10 on Saturday in the teams' preseason opener. McCarthy, who missed all of his rookie season after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in last year's first preseason game, took the field to a rousing ovation from the home crowd. The first-round pick in last year's NFL draft out of Michigan completed his first four passes, three to Jordan Addison, who made a sliding grab for an 18-yard gain on the third. McCarthy also ran 8 yards for a first down on fourth-and-4 at the Texans 43 to keep alive a 58-yard scoring drive capped by Will Reichard's 48-yard field goal that put the Vikings up 3-0. "It was great to get things done from an operational standpoint," McCarthy said. "There's a lot we can build on off that — a lot more areas we can grow, me specifically, for sure. But I was really happy to string together (a drive) and get some points on the board." Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell also felt good about what he saw from his starting quarterback. "We don't do a lot of game-planning for these games," O'Connell said. "But we also want to give our guys a chance to go out there and have success. So there are going to be some plays where guys have to rise up and make some plays above the scheme, and he did that a couple of times with his legs. "It didn't really feel like he put the ball at harm's risk very much in that sequence of plays." The Texans responded on their own opening possession. Davis Mills, who got the start at quarterback after head coach DeMeco Ryans elected to sit starter C.J. Stroud, marched his team 74 yards in 10 plays to score on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Braxton Berrios that put his team in front 7-3. "I was really pleased with our first offensive group," Ryans said. "The way they stepped out very efficiently. I liked everybody just being very calm and composed. Davis did an excellent job of driving the ball down the field, commanding the huddle, putting the ball in really good placement." McCarthy, meanwhile, was replaced by backup Sam Howell before the Vikings' second possession. Howell played the rest of the first half, finishing 11 of 13 for 105 yards. He led Minnesota to a pair of scores: a 38-yard field goal by Reichard and his own 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Vikings a 13-7 halftime lead. Not all went the Vikings way, however. Wide receiver Rondale Moore, signed this offseason, was carted from the field after suffering what O'Connell said appears to be a serious left knee injury on a punt return early in the second quarter. He'll have an MRI on Sunday. Moore, who missed the entire 2024 season while with Atlanta after injuring a knee in the preseason, was expected to add receiving depth for Minnesota. The Vikings will be without Addison for the first three games of the regular season after he was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. "It's heartbreaking," O'Connell said of Moore's injury. "I think anybody in the ballpark (today) could feel the emotion. It's one of the most painful things for me as a head coach. I make a life out of trying to leave others better than I found them, and in that particular situation, there's really nothing you can do." Houston's final two drives ended in interceptions of rookie Max Brosmer by Kahlef Hailassie, sealing a win for the Vikings in McCarthy's first game in almost exactly a year. "It felt amazing being back out there," said McCarthy, whose team has a pair of joint practices with the New England Patriots scheduled for this coming week. "Just really playing football again and being out there with the guys. There's nothing like it. I loved the way we played as a group collectively." Among the several Vikings veterans who didn't play were wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who's still recovering from a mild left hamstring strain he suffered late last month, and offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw, who continues to work his way back from a season-ending knee injury a year ago. Houston running back Nick Chubb, who signed with the team in the offseason, didn't play. He missed practice time during the week after taking a shot to the head. O'Connell said the Vikings also lost rookie center Zeke Correll to what X-rays showed was a right ankle fracture in the second half. Texans: Host the Carolina Panthers next Saturday. Vikings: Host the Patriots next Saturday. NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Aug. 1, 2025.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sherrone Moore reveals how Michigan football QB Bryce Underwood is ‘way different' than JJ McCarthy
The post Sherrone Moore reveals how Michigan football QB Bryce Underwood is 'way different' than JJ McCarthy appeared first on ClutchPoints. During the first five or so years of the Jim Harbaugh era, the Michigan football team was always one of the best teams in the Big Ten. However, the Wolverines could never get over the hump. They needed an elite quarterback, and they finally got one in JJ McCarthy. McCarthy exceeded every expectation and helped Michigan win three Big Ten titles and a national championship. Now, Sherrone Moore is hoping that he has his star QB in Bryce Underwood. Bryce Underwood was the top player in the 2025 recruiting class, and he is now a member of the Michigan football team. He is expected to win the starting job as a true freshman, which is something that JJ McCarthy did not do. Underwood and McCarthy are similar in some areas, but there are also a lot of differences. Sherrone Moore talked about one of the biggest recently. 'As far as pure size, it's way different, because he's 6-4, and he's 230 pounds now,' Moore said of Underwood during a recent appearance on the Cover 3 Podcast. 'But mentality wise, pretty similar in the mentality of what they want to do and how they want to be. How they go about their business, pretty similar, and attacking things off the field and being great teammates, and both of them were loved by their teammates.' McCarthy and Underwood both seem to have a similar approach to the game and the team, but their build and play styles are different. McCarthy was the best QB that Michigan has had in a long time, but Underwood possesses a lot of physical traits that raise his ceiling. We haven't seen Bryce Underwood play for the Michigan football team yet, but if he is anything like JJ McCarthy, Wolverines fans will love him. Michigan is beginning fall camp this week with the season right around the corner, and we will learn soon if Underwood wins the starting job. Related: Arizona State HC Kenny Dillingham puts fans on notice with attendance message Related: Norfolk State star Kevon King makes Walter Payton Award watch list
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Vikings' JJ McCarthy makes emotional return after missing rookie year... but it's his backup who thrills fans
Nearly one year after tearing the meniscus in his rightknee, Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy made his emotional return tothe field for Saturday's preseason opener against the Houston Texans. 'I had a little teardrop, I'm not going to lie,' McCarthysaid after the Vikings' 20-10 victory. 'Being out there before the nationalanthem. This game is the best game in the world and to be out there with thiskind of group, with this coaching staff ... it was absolutely terrific. 'I was actually getting kind of emotional last night,'McCarthy said. 'It's just the journey any injured player goes on to being backout there doing the thing that they love. It was really special [today], forsure.' Unfortunately for the former Michigan star, national championand first-round pick, it was his backup, Sam Howell, who had fans talking afterwards. McCarthy, 22, played just the Vikings' opening drive,completing 4 of 7 passes to set up a field goal. The 24-year-old Howell, meanwhile, completed 11 of 13 passesfor 105 yards. Best of all, the former North Carolina star engineered a 94-yardscoring driver that ended with a QB sneak for the touchdown. 'Sam had the better game for sure,' one fan wrote on X. 'If JJ struggles, Howell will absolutely ball out in that system,' another added. 'No doubt in my mind.' To be clear, McCarthy did not look bad. After receiving a rousing ovation from the home crowd as he stepped under center for the first time, he completed his first four passes, three to Jordan Addison, who made a sliding grab for an 18-yard gain on one. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick last year out of Michigan, also ran 8 yards for a first down on fourth-and-4 at the Texans 43. 'I love the fact that we were able to execute and hit an explosive in the play-pass game,' head coach Kevin O'Connell said of the drive. 'I love the fact that we converted some third downs. I loved the fact that on fourth down, he used his legs to steal one. 'I think there's a level of composure and poise to how he ran the show today that was exactly what I was looking for. And now we go back to work.' The work resumes when the Vikings hold two days of joint practices with the New England Patriots later this week, and McCarthy said there is still plenty he can improve on. 'Continuing to master the offense and really understand the timing and rhythm of each play,' McCarthy said. 'All the little things like footwork and how I'm getting out of my fakes. Just little stuff. 'This is an extremely hard offense to run, but once you master it, things run really smoothly.' With Sam Darnold under center, the Vikings finished the regular season last year 14-3 before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs. But Darnold departed for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason in free agency and O'Connell has turned the offense over to McCarthy.
New York Times
17 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
J.J. McCarthy's preseason performance and other Vikings risers and fallers from win
MINNEAPOLIS — This is what the Vikings do. Right here. It was the first drive in the first quarter of a preseason game, but that doesn't mean it wasn't time for a play-action pass. Here was second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Faking the handoff. Planting his feet. Firing an out route, angled toward the left sideline. Advertisement The throw wasn't perfect, but it did not need to be. Why? Jordan Addison was the receiver diving and securing the catch. If you're looking for the sequence best representing what this will look like when the real games start, here you go. The offense will contain more running and a more diverse screen game, but creating explosive plays off of play-action will still sit at the core. 'Being able to trust that timing in real time, being able to trust the protection — it was a huge growing rep,' McCarthy said. That was head coach Kevin O'Connell's hope for Saturday. Winning 20-10 builds confidence, and there were many notable performances we'll soon get to, but the most important takeaway was always going to center around McCarthy. Could he communicate the plays effectively to the huddle? Could he holler out the correct cadences? Could he walk up to the line and assess the defensive picture with time to spare on the play clock? Narrator: He could. O'Connell sounded not content but satisfied. There were no pre-snap penalties, and McCarthy was making checks at the line of scrimmage. 'There was a level of composure and poise to how he ran the show that was exactly what I was looking for,' O'Connell said. 'Now, we go back to work.' A checkpoint. That's all O'Connell and McCarthy wanted this to be. McCarthy viewed it that way, but for a different hint of emotion. A year ago, on this same stage, he stepped wrongly and tore his meniscus. All of the hype that had built, all of the conversation centered around his potential ascent, vanished. The road back was tedious. It required a fixation on each individual day, as opposed to the bigger picture. He's kept his mind in that space for months, so Friday night, even he was surprised by the emotion. He was hit by it again during Saturday's national anthem. Advertisement 'Had a little tear drop, not going to lie,' McCarthy said. 'This game is the best game in the world. To be out there with this kind of group, and this coaching staff, was absolutely terrific.' McCarthy booted on one snap and found Addison near the sideline. He sailed a third-down pass over the middle intended for receiver Lucky Jackson. He scrambled and secured a fourth-down conversion. He escaped on another third down and nearly completed a throw-back attempt to running back Jordan Mason. The 4-for-7, 30-yard final stat line sums up the overall performance: some good, some that could be better. McCarthy mentioned accuracy as an area to improve. He also noted that there was an adjustment period against a vanilla Texans defense, compared to what he's been facing with Brian Flores's squad in training camp. 'Didn't really feel like he put the ball at harm's risk very much in that sequence of plays,' O'Connell said. And that, really, seems like O'Connell's benchmark. Knowing the defense's potential and believing in an improved special teams unit, what can this talented Vikings roster accomplish if McCarthy refrains from the disastrous negatives? It's a good question. It might be the question. After Saturday, we're that much closer to the answer. Taking it himself!@jjmccarthy09 📺: @FOX9 | @NFLNetwork — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 9, 2025 The buzz began early in training camp. The Vikings were having a hard time hiding the fact that they saw something in Scott, a 26-year-old who went undrafted in 2023. You could see why Saturday. Scott became the featured player of the team's third drive. He hammered his way into holes. He caught a screen and knifed his way up the field for an 11-yard gain. He showed some intriguing vision. The final numbers won't blow anyone away: He finished with 40 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. It was the trust head coach Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings' offensive staff had, returning to him on five straight snaps, that says everything. Advertisement Last week, an AFC evaluator said of Howell: 'He's more of a gamer.' Howell had struggled early in training camp, albeit often against a first-team Brian Flores defense that uses random training camp afternoons as opportunities to rip the offense's heart out. He wasn't throwing in rhythm. There was more pre-snap congestion than the coaches would have liked. Howell did fumble a snap Saturday. Had he not recovered it, he may have lost the opportunity to display an impressive array of throws. There were arced passes and bullets. His receivers helped him, specifically Lucky Jackson on one over-the-top catch in the intermediate area, but he was an efficient 11-of-13 for 105 yards. Antennas rise when O'Connell speaks glowingly about a player, especially a quarterback. He praised Brosmer this summer. Brosmer's smarts, specifically. The Vikings targeted the Minnesota Golden Gophers product as an undrafted signing. O'Connell had watched Brosmer locally a couple of years ago in the pro day, and the continuity between the Gophers' offense and the Vikings' made it a fit. Brosmer hasn't been perfect in camp. But he has held his own alongside McCarthy, Howell and Brett Rypien. Saturday wasn't flawless, either. Brosmer was antsy at the beginning of his snaps as the fourth quarterback, and his offense lost a fumbled snap late. He progressed nicely on a third-down conversion and again in the red zone. His final line? 3-of-6 passing for 26 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota drafted Reichard with the idea that he'd be the team's long-term kicker. The evaluation seemed precise with the way he started his rookie season. He didn't miss any of his first 14 attempts. A quad injury slowed his roll in Week 8, forcing him to miss about a month. Even when he came back in Week 14, he couldn't find his early form. He made 11-of-15 tries, including in the wild-card round against the Los Angeles Rams, and the uneven end created some angst ahead of camp. Reichard didn't help his cause with a handful of misses in the first couple of weeks. However, he drilled six field goals Monday night. Saturday was a continuation of the arrow pointed up. Entering Saturday's game, this was a concern. It's not that the Vikings are afraid superstar receiver Justin Jefferson won't be ready for Week 1. To the contrary. Minnesota's staff also expected Jordan Addison's three-game suspension, so that news didn't change things. It's mostly that the options behind Jefferson, Addison and Jalen Nailor are mostly unproven. The one experienced candidate was Rondale Moore, who brutally injured his left leg on a punt return during Saturday's second quarter. Tim Jones, a fourth-year pro, was flagged twice on special teams. Rookie Tai Felton could play a role as a gunner, and Lucky Jackson snatched a couple of notable passes. Undrafted rookie Silas Bolden is easily the most dynamic returner on the roster, but how much faith will Minnesota's staff have knowing that the player will be trotting out in primetime under the lights in Chicago? This isn't about Blackmon's play on Saturday. He led the Vikings' defense with a combined five tackles. This is more about his current role. Blackmon, a third-round pick in 2023, who tore his ACL last year, took a ton of snaps Saturday with the second team. No. 1 cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. didn't play as part of a grouping of veteran starters who sat. Cornerbacks Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah were the featured corners, and it feels like it'd take a drastic change (from health or performance) to alter that standing. When you have Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, edge rusher isn't a position that causes worry. Backups, though, are always worth eyeing. And with the way Murphy and Richter sprang off the line of scrimmage Saturday afternoon, there isn't much of a question remaining. Murphy was credited with 1 1/2 sacks, and Richter had the other 1/2. Murphy also tallied four quarterback pressures. Neither of the two is massive in stature, but they possess a twitch and explosiveness that keeps them interesting. (Top photo of J.J. McCarthy: Jeffrey Becker / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
J.J. McCarthy's Fiancée Turns Heads During Vikings Preseason Opener
J.J. McCarthy's Fiancée Turns Heads During Vikings Preseason Opener originally appeared on The Spun. The time has finally come for J.J. McCarthy to solidify himself as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus. That opened the door for Sam Darnold to start all 17 games. He thrive under head coach Kevin O'Connell, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His production earned him a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Only time will tell if McCarthy has what it takes to lead the Vikings to the promised land. All we can say for sure is 2025 will go down as a year he'll never forget. Not only is McCarthy set to be an NFL starting quarterback, he's about to become a father. He and his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, announced that they're expecting a child in September. "The best surprises come when you least expect them. Our sweet baby boy is arriving in September and we couldn't be happier," they wrote in a joint Instagram post. McCarthy and Kuropas met when they were in high school. Back in 2023, the former Michigan star shared a beautiful message on their anniversary. "1,825 days with the love of my life but a million moments that will be remembered and cherished for the rest of my life," McCarthy wrote. "I couldn't be more grateful for who you are and everything you do! You make me the best version of myself and it has been a complete blessing to continually watch you grow into the amazing woman you are." In January 2024, McCarthy and Kuropas got engaged. As you'd expect, Kuropas is very supportive of McCarthy's career. "Extremely delayed but… Reminiscing on how amazing this past season was," Kuropas wrote on Instagram prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. "An abundance of blessings and the best memories. Feeling so grateful for everything that unfolded & for everyone that was part of it!! Sad to see this chapter go, but excited for the next one." There's no question McCarthy's family will be cheering him on this NFL season. J.J. McCarthy's Fiancée Turns Heads During Vikings Preseason Opener first appeared on The Spun on Aug 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
