Vikings' J.J. McCarthy Reacts to Breakout Game, 'I Always Knew the Potential Is There'

J.J. McCarthy's debut season has been a forgettable one so far, but the Minnesota Vikings quarterback finally found his rhythm on Sunday.

In a 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders, McCarthy had 163 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. The 2024 first-round pick also completed 69.6 percent of his passes, which was the best of the season for him.

For McCarthy, the breakout game was reassurance that he's where he belongs.

"It's definitely reassuring," McCarthy said. "I always knew I had that and I always knew the potential is there. But I'm looking at it right now, and there's so many ways I could get better. I'm so far from where I want to be, so it's just great to get the win and grow in this game."

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Through his first six NFL games, McCarthy had thrown for just six touchdowns while throwing 10 interceptions. He had just two games where he had recorded more touchdowns than interceptions, and had yet to play a game where he didn't commit a turnover.

The Vikings using the 10th overall pick on McCarthy in 2024 surprised some, but he showed Sunday that he's capable of playing winning football in the NFL, just as he did in college.