The Minnesota Vikings are going to be in trouble to start this season. J.J. McCarthy wasted no time in his first preseason game telegraphing who one of his favorite targets might be once the year begins, completing three of his first four passes to Jordan Addison. The only problem with that is Addison is going to be out the first three games as he serves a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Addison is allowed to participate in everything leading up to Week 1, which is why he got some reps in the Vikings’ preseason game on Saturday. It’s good that McCarthy is showing who his favorite receiver outside of Justin Jefferson is, but that could be a problem to start the year with Addison out.
Hopefully that doesn’t mean this offense will take a hit over the first month. Addison was a key piece of the team last year and was the perfect complement to Jefferson, tallying 875 yards and nine touchdowns last year. His rookie year, he had over 900 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s due for another big season, it will just be put on pause for the first three games.
J.J. McCarthy already getting in sync with his receivers could prepare him for standout season
It’s just the preseason, but McCarthy needs all the reps he can get ahead of his de facto rookie season. The fact that he’s already finding ways to get Addison involved in the offense is important. Jefferson is going to garner a lot of attention each game, so learning how to involve Addison is ima must.
More importantly though, McCarthy is getting a chance to get on the field with his teammates ahead of an important season for him. The pressure on him is crazy high after what Sam Darnold was able to do last year. Between Kevin O’Connell standing by him and the fact that the Vikings front office didn’t add any other options, it's clear Minnesota believes in him.
That’s a lot of faith for a player that hasn’t gotten a chance to do anything at this level yet. His success will be tied to how well he can keep this offense playing at a strong level. Getting in sync with Addison now will go a long way when he’s allowed to return to the team after his suspension. But before then, McCarthy will have to find another weapon on this offense to go to.
McCarthy didn’t get to pass a whole lot when he was at Michigan. He had a defense and a run game that carried the load. In the NFL, he’ll have to do it himself and he doesn’t have the luxury of a slow progression.
This offense will miss Addison at the start of the season, and it seems like McCarthy will miss him more. But at least Saturday’s preseason game gave fans a taste of what to expect with the offense when it’s at full strength.