Tom Brady Praises J.J. McCarthy as Rookie QB Leads Vikings to Upset Win vs. Lions

J.J. McCarthy was solid in his return from a high ankle sprain on Sunday, throwing for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Minnesota Vikings' 27-24 upset win over the Detroit Lions. He also rushed for a touchdown.

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady, who called the game, was impressed.

"He's doing a lot we can see when the ball is actually snapped. But he's doing a lot before the snap," Brady said on the broadcast. "That tells me Kevin O'Connell's putting a lot of trust in him to get you in and out of the right plays. ... Outside of [the interception], there's so many positives from what I've seen here today. Accurate throws, good decisions, good times to throw the ball away. Definitely giving this team the spark it needed coming into a very tough place to play."

McCarthy wasn't perfect on the day, with the aforementioned interception and five sacks taken. But there was more good than bad—especially considering it was his first game action since September—and the 4-4 Vikings need that continued development as they look to put themselves into playoff positioning.