It seems like the Minnesota Vikings are being extra cautious with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy's ankle injury. He did not play on Thursday night, marking the fifth game in a row that McCarthy was sidelined.
It seems possible that McCarthy could have returned by now, but head coach Kevin O'Connell has made the right call by sticking with veteran backup Carson Wentz. Sure, Wentz has quarterbacked consecutive losses for Minnesota including Thursday's 37-10 blowout loss to the Chargers, but the team is smartly prioritizing McCarthy's health. It's a good move, because McCarthy shouldn't be out there behind this offensive line if he's anything less than 100 percent.
Carson Wentz is the sacrificial lamb in Minnesota
I'm sure Carson Wentz is happy to be getting an extended shot to play quarterback in the NFL again, but whew, this man is taking a beating back there.
Wentz has started five games for the Vikings. He's been sacked 19 times in that span. He's the seventh-most sacked quarterback in the NFL this season despite not starting the first two games for Minnesota.
And that's exactly why keeping McCarthy on the sidelines as long as possible has been the smart move. While Thursday's loss probably makes a move back to McCarthy next week unavoidable, the extra time between now and then helps ensure that McCarthy is as close as can be to healthy.
Maybe the decision to stick with Wentz on Thursday cost the Vikings a win, though, with the way the Chargers' offense played, that's probably not the case. Instead, it allowed Wentz to take the pounding in what likely would have been a loss no matter what.
Minnesota's offensive line isn't going to get too much better, though getting Brian O'Neill back after he missed Thursday's game with a knee sprain should offer some improved protection in Week 9 against the Lions.
Obviously, the Vikings can't protect McCarthy forever. They basically have to play him in Week 9 after Wentz was 15-for-27 for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception this week. You have to give your team the best chance to win, especially with a roster as good as the one that the Vikings have. At the same time, you have to be forward-thinking as well, and letting McCarthy heal up for another week accomplishes that. So, Vikings fans might feel bad about Thursday's loss, but they should be glad that Wentz was out there to take on the brunt of the Chargers' pass rush. Things would have been much worse if McCarthy had been out and there and suffered a re-injury to his ankle before it was fully healed.