Kevin O’Connell doesn’t foresee a scenario where this thing goes down to the wire. Ideally, the Vikings will shift the workload more and more to the QB1 so as to better prepare the successful combatant. Or, at least, that’s the plan.
The Vikings’ skipper did a press conference last week, allowing him to explain that he’s hoping the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy gets settled before too long. “Those guys both know,” O’Connell clarified, “we have a plan in place to make sure that the decision we make that is going to be about what’s best for the Minnesota Vikings. And the timeline of that does involve making sure that we get our starter ready to go.”
Not too long afterwards, Coach O’Connell foreshadowed giving the upcoming winner “ample time” to prepare for Week 1.
Later on, O’Connell did say that the team could start shifting a heartier workload over to a specific guy in training camp and/or the preseason to further glean evidence about who deserves the top job. Across the reflections, O’Connell tied the individual ability of these two passers to being able to make the team better. That will be the key, folks. Whoever proves capable of allowing the team to compete will win the individual job.
Kevin O’Connell Wants Passer Battle Decided with Time to Spare
Most think that Kyler Murray is the leader in the clubhouse. And, to be sure, there’s good reason for that belief.
Consider as a basic starting point the reality that Murray has proven to be a tremendously-accurate passer in the NFL. Boasting a 67.1% completion rate means being unusually accurate. In the past, Kevin O’Connell has clarified that accuracy is the top criteria to be his quarterback. Murray isn’t the world’s best fit for the scheme but he does fulfill that basic ability that the HC so desperately desires.
Meanwhile, McCarthy was struggling to complete passes with regularity last year, finishing his debut season as a starter with a 57.6% completion rate.
Do note, though, a few details. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, McCarthy’s expected completion percentage came in at a considerably healthier 62.8%. Consider, as well, that McCarthy’s final five games of the season featured the kid completing 64.1% of his passes, pointing toward the growth he demonstrated over the season.
So, there’s good reason for some optimism about where his game is going.
Kevin O’Connell is going to get the final call on who becomes the starter. He will, nevertheless, get plenty of feedback from trusted voices such as OC Wes Phillips and QB coach Josh McCown (among others). Nolan Teasley will surely have an opinion, but he’ll need to trust his coaching staff with the final call.
Best guess on this end of things is that the end of August is a soft deadline for making the final decision. The Week 1 Packers game gets rolling on Sunday, September 13th. Finishing off the competition by the end of August (at the latest) would mean giving the QB1 a minimum of a two-week runway to prepare.
Fans get welcomed to training camp beginning on August 1st.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.