Did McCarthy Just Save The Season?

[DocBauer]

OK, I don't mean his game performance against the Lions was anything special. He played a good, solid game with a couple of great throws that indicate his potential. And to be fair, some rust showed as there were a few off target throws that might have helped the offense put this game away had he been more on target. 

And it sure doesn't hurt having Jones back, Darrisaw in at LT for a whole game, and Allen and Hargrave are starting to make a difference.

But didn't it appear the whole team just raised their game against the Lions? Could that be due to having their young QB back out there and performing well? It sure feels like he already has the respect of the team.

No offense to Wentz. He did the best he could under some difficult circumstances. And I don't know that KOC has called games as well as he has in the past. Goodness knows the team has dealt with it's share of injuries thus far in 2025.

But it sure looked to me as if the whole team had extra intensity and a different bounce in their steps in this one.

 

[Mike Sixel]

I don't know. We have no idea why they played better. But awful teams win sometimes, and great ones lose, so I think it's more likely they just played better. And had three important starters back. But I could be wrong!

[Parfigliano]

McCarthy will have to be much sharper all around this week and KOC really needs to tighten up the offense should they manage to find themselves inside the 5 against BALT.

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

McCarthy will have to be much sharper all around this week and KOC really needs to tighten up the offense should they manage to find themselves inside the 5 against BALT.

Rumor has it McCarthy changed at least one play.... But yes. 

[Cap'n Piranha]

The Vikings started 3 of their 5 scoring drives on the DET 26, 35, and 36, accounting for 17 of the 27 points.  McCarthy had a net 116 yards passing, completed only 56% of his passes, averaged only 3.9 yards/attempt, and got 5 first downs from penalties.

I think it's much more accurate to say having Aaron Jones back (78 yards on 9 carries) fueled the run game (142 yards at 4.9/carry), which combined with a defense buoyed by the return of AVG that held the Lions to 15 first downs and 305 total yards and great special teams play (61 yard return, blocked FG with return) drove the win.

This feels like a quintessential JJM game at Michigan--don't make mistakes and get out of the defense and running game's way.  If the team was so anti-Wentz that they all decided to stop giving their best for 5 weeks, only to get a fire lit by the return of JJM is an accurate statement, then that's a big indictment on KOC to not be able to get his team up to play.

Before this gets taken as an anti-JJM post, I continue to hope he can develop.  But by any objective metric, he is not even a competent QB at this point, and barring the defense turning into the 85 Bears or 00 Ravens, you can't win 3/4 games in the postseason with this level of QB play.

[Vanimal46]

The simple answer is usually the correct answer. They were desperate to win to keep the season alive. If they lost and entered this week 3-5, the margin of error would have been razor thin 

[TheLeviathan]

I think the better answer is that B-Flo and the defense saved the season by looking like we expected them to.