Vikings plan to turn to J.J. McCarthy in Week 9

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Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell took most of the blame for Minnesota’s 27-point loss to the Chargers on Thursday and expects to hand the ball back to quarterback J.J. McCarthy as part of the rebound plan.

“We got outplayed. We got outcoached,” O’Connell said Thursday night. “There are no excuses. Injuries, short week, whatever. It is not in any way, shape or form our standard of what we want to put on the field.”

The Vikings have 10 days to get ready for a trip to Detroit to face the Lions on Nov. 2. Minnesota has fallen a significant distance since playing the Lions in the regular-season finale for the NFC North title last season and ending up 14-3. Thursday already was the Vikings’ fourth loss this season.

O’Connell expects McCarthy, out with an ankle injury since Week 2, to get the green light to start against the Lions.

“We worked out J.J. and he was close,” O’Connell said Thursday night. “The medical staff kind of didn’t quite feel like he was there yet, but there was a lot of encouragement. … If J.J. is healthy, J.J. will play. That’s been the case since the injury. That’s our mindset, and I believe that we are hopefully right around the corner from seeing him.”

Carson Wentz started at quarterback but struggled behind a makeshift offensive line while playing at less than full health. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The visit to Detroit (5-2) opens a challenging run on the schedule for the Vikings, who then play the Baltimore Ravens (1-5), Chicago Bears (4-2), Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) and Seattle Seahawks (5-2) — led by O’Connell’s 2024 starting quarterback Sam Darnold — in the month of November.

–Field Level Media