Both McCarthy and coach Kevin O'Connell downplayed the impact the injury will have on his preparation for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, but it was clear Wednesday that McCarthy was not 100%. He wore padding on the hand, which O'Connell said was to protect against another round of swelling, and did not throw any right-handed passes during the portion of practice open to reporters.
Happy Sunday night! It's a primetime game for the Atlanta Falcons, and we're here hoping they'll squeeze by a tough Minnesota Vikings team this evening. To do so, they'll need to pump the brakes on the J.J. McCarthy hype train, keep Michael Penix Jr. safe from a withering pass rush, and take advantage of a suspect Vikings secondary while avoiding big mistakes. You know, all in a day's work.
McCarthy was taken two spots after Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr, whom Atlanta sensationally selected despite signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative free agent contract earlier that offseason. Penix was taken eighth overall, and after replacing Cousins and impressing late last season, is now the full-time starter, though Week 1 ended in disappointment for Atlanta as the Falcons lost a thriller to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite a Penix touchdown run putting them ahead with just over two minutes to play.
