Post by Purple Pain on Aug 15, 2024 9:16:55 GMT -6
Matt Fries: J.J. McCarthy’s Preseason Stats Weren't Just Empty Calories
POISE UNDER PRESSURE
OBVIOUS ARM TALENT
CLEAR GROWTH
PROCESSING READS
SOMETHING TO WORK ON
Great read as always! ^^^
McCarthy’s stats looked good, particularly the 11.1 yards/attempt, but sometimes numbers can overstate empty calories. I had to take a closer look at the film for myself, and what I found on the game tape absolutely backed up the numbers. McCarthy still has plenty to work on, but his overall performance was great for a rookie in his first live-action.
Let’s break it down.
Let’s break it down.
POISE UNDER PRESSURE
OBVIOUS ARM TALENT
CLEAR GROWTH
PROCESSING READS
SOMETHING TO WORK ON
CONCLUSION
J.J. McCarthy had an impressive first preseason game. Obviously, it’s not the true test of a regular-season matchup, but McCarthy clearly belonged on the field from a physical perspective.
McCarthy’s arm talent and athleticism shone. He made accurate throws and beat pressure with his arm and his legs. He remained calm under pressure, which led to two impressive third-down conversions. McCarthy’s deep ball was the star of the show, and he showed off it on two long TDs.
He also showed some growth from his college days, particularly on his accuracy throwing left. McCarthy was impressive throwing in that direction during the game, an area of the field he consistently misfired toward in college.
From a decision-making perspective, it was good to see him be able to progress through reads, although he will likely need to speed up his progressions and make sure he is staying aggressive with his decisions on third down. He obviously also needs to work on the decision-making that led to his interception, forcing the ball into tight coverage. Notably, though, he bounced back mentally and threw the two TDs after the pick, which is a great sign.
Finally, McCarthy was left with something to work on, with two misfires on rollout throws. He’ll have to put that progress on pause for now, although the duration of the hiatus remains uncertain. News of his injury is frustrating for eager Vikings fans, and no doubt for McCarthy himself. But the good news is, we finally got some limited NFL data on the rookie QB, and it’s not just the numbers that look promising.
J.J. McCarthy had an impressive first preseason game. Obviously, it’s not the true test of a regular-season matchup, but McCarthy clearly belonged on the field from a physical perspective.
McCarthy’s arm talent and athleticism shone. He made accurate throws and beat pressure with his arm and his legs. He remained calm under pressure, which led to two impressive third-down conversions. McCarthy’s deep ball was the star of the show, and he showed off it on two long TDs.
He also showed some growth from his college days, particularly on his accuracy throwing left. McCarthy was impressive throwing in that direction during the game, an area of the field he consistently misfired toward in college.
From a decision-making perspective, it was good to see him be able to progress through reads, although he will likely need to speed up his progressions and make sure he is staying aggressive with his decisions on third down. He obviously also needs to work on the decision-making that led to his interception, forcing the ball into tight coverage. Notably, though, he bounced back mentally and threw the two TDs after the pick, which is a great sign.
Finally, McCarthy was left with something to work on, with two misfires on rollout throws. He’ll have to put that progress on pause for now, although the duration of the hiatus remains uncertain. News of his injury is frustrating for eager Vikings fans, and no doubt for McCarthy himself. But the good news is, we finally got some limited NFL data on the rookie QB, and it’s not just the numbers that look promising.
Great read as always! ^^^
... and neither is this Chris guy.