"On third-and-7, McCarthy sailed a pass well beyond receiver Justin Jefferson on a basic out cut. The Chicago Bears were giving Jefferson that route, and the accompanying first down it could generate. NFL quarterbacks make that throw routinely, taking eight or nine yards against a defense that is guarding against bigger plays. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell refers to such throws as "pitch and catch.""
"As fans reacted angrily, McCarthy put both hands on his helmet and -- in a visceral expression of emotion -- sprinted off the field. "You just can't miss those," McCarthy said after the Vikings' 19-17 loss. "This league's too hard. There's three or five decisions [and] plays that I want back more than anything, and that's one of them." McCarthy's season-long streaks of inaccuracy intensified Sunday, coinciding with a bruised right hand sustained in Week 10 that required him to wear protective padding."
"As the fourth quarter began, he had completed 10 of 22 passes for 74 yards and two interceptions. His rate of off-target throws was an astronomical 32% at that point, He had sprayed passes over Jefferson's head, at the feet of fellow receiver Jordan Addison and ahead of tight end T.J. Hockenson. His frenetic pocket movement, ball velocity and timing issues might also have contributed to a series of drops, including two by Addison."
J.J. McCarthy struggled through a poor performance in the Vikings' 19-17 loss, completing 10 of 22 passes for 74 yards with two interceptions. A bruised right hand sustained in Week 10 forced protective padding and coincided with increased inaccuracy. McCarthy's off-target throw rate reached about 32 percent, with passes sailing over Justin Jefferson, at Jordan Addison's feet and ahead of T.J. Hockenson. Frenetic pocket movement, altered ball velocity and timing issues may have contributed to multiple drops, including two by Addison. Frustration culminated when McCarthy sprinted off the field after a missed out route.
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