Coming off a 14-3 regular season, the expectations for the Vikings are high in Minnesota. Part of the reasoning is the moves the front office has pulled off this offseason, including the clear focus on strengthening the trenches and preparing them for postseason battles.
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One thing the Vikings need to be the case to contend for Super Bowls in the near future is to find a solid quarterback who can make plays when he’s asked to. Kevin O’Connell and the entire organization hope they acquired that man a year ago in the first round of the draft.
J.J. McCarthy is the clear favorite to open the season as Minnesota’s QB1 when the operation plays the Chicago Bears in a primetime showdown with Caleb Williams, an honorary Vikings fan.
McCarthy’s development is crucial for the organization. Another essential element of that is his relationship with Justin Jefferson, the face of the franchise. Jefferson has been a team-first player all his career, but it’s clear as day that the Vikings are a better football team when he’s doing well, and to achieve that, he needs to be on the same page as his passer.Nate Porter Joins to Talk about the Vikings Schedule, Offseason, and Summer
The good news is that both McCarthy and Jefferson know how significant their collaboration is.
In a recent interview with Tom Pelissero, Jefferson said about his new signal-caller:
“It’s coming along very well. He’s been my locker-mate ever since he got here. So, [I’ve been] chopping it up with him and being with him outside of football. Taking him to the Wolves game and inviting him to [my] house [to try and] build that connection and build that team chemistry because, of course, he’s going to be my quarterback.”
Jefferson will continue to be the focal point of the offense. He had a wonderful on-field connection with Kirk Cousins, and it helped both guys to put up some decent numbers. They had a blind understanding and knew each other’s tendencies. That’s the goal for each of Cousins’ successors.
“In order to have that connection, to have that personal 1-on-1 connection, we have to know each other besides football. It’s definitely great to get to know him outside of football. Seeing what he likes, seeing what he likes to do outside of football, and just seeing the type of person that he is. He’s a real cool guy.”
Jefferson also produced with gunslinger Nick Mullens tossing the rock, and Sam Darnold and Jefferson clicked quickly.
The next guy to try will be McCarthy, and he’s foreseen to be the long-term answer, so their connection is essential.
Last month, the quarterback also addressed the matter, “More reps, the better. On the field, off the field — as much time as I can spend around him. But he’s such a phenomenal talent, a once-in-a-generation type player. You don’t necessarily adapt your game to him, but you’ve got to understand it’s going to take reps and reps and reps to really feel his routes in and out of the break.”
McCarthy doesn’t have an extensive resume of helping wideouts to huge numbers. His passing attacks at Michigan had various players with solid statistics, but he also lacked a true alpha receiver. Now, he has one, and playing with him is the easiest thing in the world. If he’s single-covered, he’s probably open, and if he isn’t open, he’s still a better target than most. If he’s double-covered, someone else is open, and Jefferson might be, too.
The duo will get a ton of reps throughout the offseason workouts and in training camp. Off the field, doing stuff together like a joint visit at a Wolves game won’t hurt, either.
