McCarthy's hand injury leaves Vikings in lurch again with latest setback raising long-term questions

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings must ask themselves this offseason how patient they can afford to be with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has shown his share of as-advertised winning traits and athletic talents but just as many alarming tendencies during this up-and-down debut.

How quickly the Vikings believe his mechanics can be improved and his consistency can increase might not matter as much as whether they feel he can be counted on to regularly take the field.

After hurting his throwing hand during Minnesota's victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, his fourth significant injury in two years, McCarthy was unable to play in the second half and is now uncertain to be healthy enough to play again this season. The Vikings host Detroit on Thursday, leaving only three full days to heal. They finish against Green Bay on Jan. 3 or 4.

“You would love to have him for two straight home games to finish, and we’ll see where his hand is at and if he has the ability to play for us again. I sure hope so,” coach Kevin O'Connell said.

The Vikings were off on Monday, with no update on McCarthy's status expected until Tuesday. The initial X-rays at the stadium showed no fracture, but further examination in Minnesota was planned.

After his entire rookie year was wiped out by a torn meniscus in his right knee, the 10th pick in the 2024 draft missed five games with a badly sprained right ankle and one more with a concussion.

McCarthy's hand appeared to hit a Giants defender's helmet two plays before his rushing touchdown on a head-first dive into the end zone after a third-down scramble. When McCarthy returned for the next series, he double-clutched on a screen pass before being leveled by unblocked edge rusher Brian Burns for the sack-fumble-touchdown trifecta. The pain in his hand was too severe to continue playing after that.

Not only have the injuries stunted McCarthy's development, but he can't be counted on to be a franchise quarterback if they keep occurring at this frequency.

"It's part of this game, and he’s a competitor. I think it’s something where he’s going to go out there and lay it on the line every single week,” O'Connell said.

The pass defense has been mostly impenetrable during the second half of the season. The Vikings have not allowed a passing touchdown in six straight games, tying New England (2018-19) for the longest streak in the league over the last 25 years.

Giants interim coach Mike Kafka was apparently concerned enough about rookie Jaxson Dart's ability to navigate the rush, coverage and disguises devised by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores that only a handful of passing plays were called in the first half. Dart had just one completion before halftime, plus one interception. The 2.5 net yards per pass attempt for the Giants on Sunday was the lowest average in any game in the NFL this season, according to Sportradar.

The Vikings have the eighth-most penalties in the league, after 11 flags went against them for 90 lost yards on Sunday in their fourth game this season with 10-plus infractions. Both Harrison Smith and Eric Wilson had third-down sacks erased by roughing-the-passer penalties, and Wilson's in the fourth quarter extended a drive the Giants finished with a field goal.

Running back Aaron Jones injured his right ankle while being stopped for a loss on the second snap on Sunday, only to have sidekick Jordan Mason join him on the sideline just five plays later. The 31-year-old Jones gritted his way through the rest of the game with Mason unable to return, finishing with 85 yards on 21 carries, both season highs.

McCarthy's high-velocity throws — the Vikings have tried to teach him to throttle down to match certain routes and coverages in a concept called layering — have been a challenge to catch. But drops have hindered an offense carrying a thin margin for error, and Jordan Addison has been the biggest culprit. He failed to secure a perfectly placed ball after landing in the end zone on a third-down pass from the 25-yard line on the opening drive, forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal.

The condition of McCarthy's right hand has become by far the most important matter of the shortened week, but the status of Mason and Jones will also bear watching.

The most concerning development was a return to the concussion protocol for center Ryan Kelly, who already spent seven weeks on injured reserve this season out of abundant caution toward his career history of head injuries.

“We’re all hoping and really just thinking about him,” O'Connell said. “Don’t have an official kind of diagnosis or anything, but any time anything like that happens, you have concerns.”

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave didn't play on Sunday because of a thigh injury. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and safety Josh Metellus are all shut down for the season.

12 — The Vikings have won 12 straight games against opponents starting a rookie quarterback, the longest active streak in the NFL. Their last such loss was in 2018 to Buffalo with Josh Allen.

The Vikings (7-8) get the chance to be the Grinch on Christmas and eliminate the division rival Lions (8-7) from contention for the playoffs. A loss for the Lions would, coincidentally, clinch a spot for the Packers (9-5-1), their final opponent.

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