Carson Wentz News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/carson-wentz/ Minnesota sports, but different Sun, 02 Nov 2025 14:59:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Carson Wentz News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/carson-wentz/ 32 32 MN Vikings Still Looking for QB Help at NFL Trade Deadline https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/nfl-trade-deadline-rumors-veteran-qb-help/ Sun, 02 Nov 2025 14:59:44 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70793 The Minnesota Vikings will play one of the most important mid-season games of Kevin O’Connell’s head coaching tenure today, in Detroit, where they’ll clash with the (5-2) Lions, who need a win in order to keep up with the NFC North leading (5-1) Green Bay Packers.

But the Lions aren’t nearly as desperate for a victory Sunday as the Vikings, who will start redshirt rookie JJ McCarthy for the first time since week two and just the third time of his NFL career. At 3-4, a loss could all but mathematically eliminate Minnesota from the NFC playoff picture.

JJ McCarthy - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Even after the NFL postseason expanded to three wild card teams a few years ago, it’s extremely possible that all NFC wild card teams in 2025-26 will reach at least 10 regular season wins. If they lose today in Detroit, the MN Vikings would have to go 7-2 against the remainder of their schedule to reach a 10-7 final record.

And even if a season turnaround like that is realistic, it’ll be difficult for Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to operate on Monday and Tuesday, in the hours leading up the NFL Trade Deadline, as if his team is expecting to make the postseason.

Minnesota Vikings looking for QB help at NFL Trade Deadline?

Still, at least for now, it doesn’t sound like the Minnesota Vikings have any plans to act as sellers, prior to the deadline buzzer going off at 3 p.m. CST on November 4.

In fact, according to Adam Schefter (ESPN), they are still in the market for a veteran quarterback who can make the coaching staff feel more comfortable about who is in the QB room with JJ McCarthy and Max Brosmer.

The Vikings did not want to head into this season without an experienced veteran backup quarterback…If that was Minnesota’s thought process before the season, sources believe it would be the same now, with the Vikings still needing an experienced veteran backup quarterback for J.J. McCarthy.

League sources believe Minnesota still could make a move for a quarterback by Tuesday’s deadline.

Adam Schefter – ESPN

Related: JJ McCarthy and Sam Darnold Didn’t Get Along in Minnesota?

This is mildly surprising, because of how late it is in the season. Sure, bringing in a quarterback over the age of 25 isn’t a bad idea. Afterall, JJ McCarthy and Max Brosmer have combined to throw just 49 passes in their young NFL careers.

But where are the MN Vikings going to find a QB who they can integrate into the offense seamlessly, with just half of the 2025 regular season remaining? Are they that afraid of playing Max Brosmer, and if so… why?

What QBs could the Vikings be interested in?

We just watched five games of Carson Wentz attempting to operate an offense he has no business playing in, and the results were a complete train wreck. If nothing else, Brosmer knows the offense, will play fast and hit open receivers, three things that Wentz struggled with.

And I am NOT convinced that any of the veteran quarterbacks mentioned by Schefter as possible options for the Minnesota Vikings — Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston — would do it better than Brosmer, given the situation they’d be coming into.

Kirk Cousins would make sense, but the Falcons haven’t shown any willingness to trade him, and Atlanta needs an experienced veteran backup of its own. The Giants also have two experienced backups in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

Adam Schefter – ESPN

Related: New Name Added to “Official” Vikings Injury Report, but Don’t Tell KOC

]]> Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:59:48 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Carson Wentz’ Vikings Career Comes to Abrupt End https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/carson-wentz-shoulder-injury-season-ending-surgery/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 21:27:49 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70387 The Minnesota Vikings are preparing to play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and as recently as this afternoon, nobody was totally sure who would be their starting quarterback.

Reports recently have suggested that all signs point toward JJ McCarthy getting back under center in the Motor City, but the Vikings had yet to make anything official.

Carson Wentz going on MN Vikings season-ending IR

That was until just before 4 p.m. CDT, when news started breaking that, not only was Wentz going to be replaced by McCarthy as Vikings starter for week 9, but that the 22-year-old was going to replace him on the active roster too. Wentz needs shoulder surgery due to a torn labrum that took a beating Sunday.

Shortly after word started getting around, the MN Vikings officially announced that Carson Wentz is going on season-ending injured reserve, making it all but official that McCarthy will make his third career NFL start this weekend against the Lions. The only other QB currently on roster is former Gopher, Max Brosmer.

Related: Polarizing Day for Former MN Vikings Quarterbacks

That makes it five official starts for Carson Wentz, as Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback. The results were about what we could have expected. He was pretty good, at times. But overall, the former NDSU superstar proved he’s nothing more than a backup QB in this league.

He will roll into the operating room this week having completed 110 of 169 passes (65.1%). Wentz tossed for 1,216 yards. 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, including two last week against the Chargers, a performance that will likely be his last as Vikings starter.

On Sunday, Carson was clearly hurt and should have come out of the game long before he did. In fact, he probably shouldn’t have played to begin with. For whatever reason (and I have my theories), Kevin O’Connell used Wentz as a sacrificial lamb in week 8. Now, the Minnesota Vikings move on and Carson Wentz goes for surgery.

]]> Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:44:51 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings Injuries Coming Out of Week 8 Loss https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/injury-updates-mn-vikings-week-8-loss-darrisaw-wentz-greenard/ Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:01:49 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70192 The Minnesota Vikings took quite the beating on Thursday night, falling 37-10 to the Los Angeles Chargers in a contest that, from the moment Isaiah Rodgers pick-six was overturned in controversial fashion early in the first quarter, they were completely dominated in every facet.

Thankfully, no matter how bad the loss was, it only counts once. But now, the Vikings will go to Detroit in 10 days rest for what feels like a must-win game against the division-rival Lions, who are on their bye this week and had to be salivating watching Minnesota’s embarrassing performance on Prime(time) Video.

Minnesota Vikings hit hard by injuries in week 8 (again)

But the MN Vikings can’t concern themselves with that. Stop me if you have heard this before (wait don’t because this isn’t an old article) but this is a team that needs to focus on getting healthy, after yet another outing that included the exit of multiple starters due to injury.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell entered Thursday without starters (FB) CJ Ham, (OLB) Andrew Van Ginkel, (C) Ryan Kelly and (QB) JJ McCarthy. And it took just two drives before they lost another. And surprise, it came at the worst possible position.

Christian Darrisaw continues to work his way back from midseason knee surgery one year ago. He was very questionable going in, and after the 26-year-old did not look/feel like himself during those first couple drives, Darrisaw took himself out for the second time in three weeks.

Injury issues started with Darrisaw, continued all night for Wentz

It does not appear the 2021 No. 23 overall pick suffered any sort of setback with that knee. According to reports, Christian had swelling in his knee after playing 69 snaps in week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the quick turnaround was not enough time to recover.

Speaking of beatings, without his starting center, left tackle and right tackle, Carson Wentz — who entered with a shoulder injury he’s been nursing since London — took one of the worst of any quarterback I’ve seen play in a Minnesota Vikings uniform during my 30+ years of watching them play.

He was sacked 5 times and hit 8 more, in large part because he is struggling to see open receivers and get the ball out on time. Frustrations and pain boiled over multiple times on the field and sideline, but KOC just continued to send Wentz back out to QB his own death.

Finally, after he held back tears of pain for the entire second half, Max Brosmer replaced Wentz for the Vikings final drive. More than likely, he will be replaced by JJ McCarthy next week.

Wentz came in wearing a sort of shoulder contraption that, if you squinted, looked like a third shoulder pad. Hopefully it helped keep that shoulder in place, because it certainly didn’t make him a better quarterback.

Oliver, Okudah, Greenard leave MN Vikings vs LA Chargers injured

By the time quarter one turned to quarter two, Josh Oliver exited the game with a foot injury and was later carted off the sideline, to the locker room. Obviously, that is not a good sign. The Minnesota Vikings need all the help they can get in pass and run blocking so losing the best blocking tight end in football will hurt.

Then, there’s Jeff Okudah. He missed time earlier in the season with a concussion. Last night, the 2020 No. 3 overall draft pick suffered his second head injury of the season, meaning his return is way up in the air. Not just next week, but the rest of the season.

Hopefully, this is the last one but we may not find out until next week, being Vikings vs Chargers was the early game in week 8. Jonathan Greenard also left last night with a late-game ailment.

He got off the field on his own power and looked hungry to return. Had the Chargers not run away with things by then, he likely would have. Leading up to his injury, Greenard was one of the few bright spots in Thursday’s loss.

]]> Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:01:52 +0000 Minnesota Vikings 3 Keys to Vikings Victory Over Chargers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/3-keys-for-the-vikings-to-beat-the-chargers-in-tnf-showdown/ Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:29:26 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70089 The Minnesota Vikings enter Thursday night’s primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers with a chance to bounce back after a rough loss to the Eagles last Sunday.

This is a pivotal game for Minnesota as they currently sit right at 3-3. The task at hand is not easy as the Chargers (4-3), led by quarterback Justin Herbert are a dangerous football team.

With Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy expected to return soon, Carson Wentz is running out of opportunities to prove he can lead the offense. This could be his last chance to keep his starting role. That motivation could pay off for the Vikings.

Here are three keys to victory that can help the Vikings leave SoFi Stadium with a win.

1. MN Vikings, Carson Wentz Must Protect the Football

Turnovers have been an issue for the Vikings at times this season. They were a major factor in the loss to Philadelphia. Wentz has thrown 4 interceptions this season, which isn’t terrible but he simply cant turn the ball over if the Vikings are to win games.

He definitely can’t throw 2 in a game like he did against the Eagles. Carson Wentz is actually completing 66.9% percent of his passes but his 42.6 QBR is among the lowest in the league.

Wentz can focus on ball security by doing the following three things:

  • Make quick, decisive throws to avoid expected pressure.
  • Limit wild deep shots that could lead to turnovers.
  • Utilize short passes to get in a rhythm and keep the offense moving.

The Chargers’ defense will look to put Wentz in the same situations the Eagles did. Protecting the football will be essential for sustaining drives and keeping Herbert off the field.

2. Minnesota Vikings Defense Must Contain Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert is having an impressive 2025 season so far. He is leading the NFL with 1,913 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. His 94.5 passer rating ranks 10th in the league.

After allowing Jalen Hurts to throw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns last week, the Vikings’ defense must find ways to sack Justin Herbert. They need to make him uncomfortable early and control the tempo.

Herbert is too good of a player if he gets in a rhythm. To be clear I said they must sack Herbert as opposed to just pressures and QB hits. The reasoning is important. This season Herbert has been hit more than any other QB, but still leads the NFL in passing yards. He needs to be sacked in order to be stopped.

A lot of what needs to happen falls on the shoulders of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He must dial up creative blitzes and coverage schemes that create sack opportunities and also limit big plays.

3. Vikings Must Establish the Run and Control the Clock

This goes hand in hand with containing Justin Herbert. If the defense does their job, the offense needs to control the pace of the game by running the ball and keeping The Chargers offense off the field. Minnesota must focus on winning the time of possession.

The Vikings have been lead by Jordan Mason at running back this season after an early injury to Aaron Jones. He has done a great job stepping up. However, that One-Two punch might be available tonight as the latest report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network says that Jones has a realistic chance to play against the Chargers.

A strong running performance will:

  • Keep the Chargers’ high-powered offense off the field.
  • Allow Wentz to operate in manageable third-down situations.
  • Wear down the opposing defense, opening up play-action opportunities.

If Kevin O’Connell can establish the run early and often, the Vikings will dictate the pace of the game and put themselves in a better situation.

Bottom Line

The Vikings definitely have the tools to defeat the Chargers on Thursday night. By focusing on protecting the football, containing Herbert, and establishing the run, Minnesota can control the game and secure a crucial bounce back victory to avoid a losing record and trailing in a competitive NFC North.

]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:11:03 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings Second Week 8 Injury Report Brings Same Line Concerns https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/brian-oneill-misses-practice-again-week-8-injury-report/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 23:58:29 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70023 Plenty of injury updates came in for the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday. Both of their quarterbacks would have been just limited participants on Monday, but Kevin O’Connell named Carson Wentz the starter on Tuesday.

Aaron Jones is also back on the practice field and it should be expected that he’ll play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday. Continuity can’t be expected for the offensive line though, and that’s been a problem all year.

Brian O’Neill back on the MN Vikings injury report

On Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian O’Neill was a game-time decision. Ultimately he was on the field and returned from his sprained MCL. He played all 69 snaps on Sunday, but has logged his second DNP of the week.

It could simply be Minnesota giving O’Neill time to rest as he continues to recover from the knee injury. Kevin O’Connell hasn’t specifically noted his absence, so that seems to be good news. Obviously Wednesday’s report will indicate his game status, and it should be questionable at best.

It’s a good thing that Wentz is back to practicing in a full capacity, especially with him having been named the starter. He has been dealing with a non-throwing shoulder injury, and took plenty of hits against the Eagles. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested it may be time for the Vikings to look at undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.

C.J. Ham, who spent time on injured reserve this season, was also a DNP alongside O’Neill. If O’Neill is being given additional rest days, that’s probably the plan for Ham too. With Andrew Van Ginkel continuing to log limited practices with no substantial updates, he should be expected to be out for another week as well.

Minnesota kicks off as 3.5 point underdogs on the road against Los Angeles on Thursday night. They’ll need a win to avoid their first losing record of the season.

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:58:33 +0000 Minnesota Vikings MN Vikings Name Week 8 Starting QB https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/carson-wentz-named-week-8-starting-qb-chargers/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:51:21 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69999 It’s a short week for the Minnesota Vikings and with the Los Angeles Chargers looming on Thursday Night Football, Kevin O’Connell needed to refocus his team quickly. An ugly loss against the Philadelphia Eagles dropped them to 3-3 on the season.

Now as the Vikings cling to their playoff hopes, they’ll have to make due with what they have for another week. Things are largely status quo as the quarterback position won’t change.

Carson Wentz to start against Chargers

Minnesota wants to see young quarterback J.J. McCarthy get in a full week of practice before putting him back on the field as their starter. He remained on the injury report Monday, and Kevin O’Connell announced that Carson Wentz will get the start Thursday night.

O’Connell told reporters that McCarthy did go through an on-field workout on Tuesday, but that he’s “just not there.” For whatever it’s worth, he did indicate that there may have been a possibility for him to play had the game been on Sunday.

Instead, it will be Wentz once again. This is the sixth week McCarthy has missed. In his absence, Wentz has gone 2-2 with a 66.9% completion rate. He has looked competent at times, and at others, he has thrown a pick six and punt pass in a matter of two possessions.

Max Brosmer will back up Wentz once again on Thursday. For whatever reason, despite propping him up publicly at every opportunity, Minnesota is unwilling to give their undrafted rookie a start.

O’Connell will need to coach a much better game Thursday than he did on Sunday. He’ll also need the quarterback to look more like he did against the Browns than he did against the Eagles.

Clarification provides on McCarthy’s progress

The Minnesota Vikings thought that J.J. McCarthy would be further along by this point. Asked what he means by “just not there,” Kevin O’Connell provided an update on his young quarterbacks situation.

“It’s some of the movements, the reactionary movements within the pocket. Being able to use his athleticism to protect himself in the pocket. As he’s able to work through progressions, I feel really good about the work we’ve done on the foundation of his fundamentals…It’s really just about, maybe a guy gets edged and I don’t really know the movement I’m going to have to make, that’s where he still feels it. If he doesn’t have the ability to do that pain free, we risk setting him back which would be very, very unfortunate with the time lost already.”

Kevin O’Connell

The bulk of O’Connell’s answer has seemingly nothing to do with the health of McCarthy’s ankle. A last throw in suggesting he may not be able to easily escape pressure because of lingering effects is the only indication of ankle pain.

For that to be the case, now six weeks in, it looks like malpractice that Minnesota didn’t just put McCarthy on injured reserve. It would have shielded him from the skepticism, and allowed for a full timeline to heal. If this is still where we’re at, even weeks down the road it shouldn’t be expected that McCarthy is at 100%.

O’Connell and the Vikings went through last season with a proof of concept that made them look like geniuses. This season they have done the exact opposite.

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:59:55 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Insider Calls JJ McCarthy’s Progress a Problem for MN Vikings https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/dianna-russini-jj-mccarthy-progress-development-problem/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:34:02 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69991 This offseason the Minnesota Vikings made a conscious decision to tab J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback. They allowed Sam Darnold to sign for big money with the Seattle Seahawks, and they didn’t do enough to retain Daniel Jones.

McCarthy was going to be the starter, and there was never any competition to suggest otherwise. He played in two games, looked largely overmatched, and has been injured since. Progress on both the health and developmental front has been all over the place, and that leaves the Minnesota Vikings in a tough spot.

Expectations were different for JJ McCarthy’s injury

J.J. McCarthy’s timeline for a return from his high ankle sprain has changed about as often as the weather. From two, to four, to six weeks, things have consistently been in flux. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that Minnesota had hoped the quarterback would progress faster.

“In terms of the estimation, I was always told 4-6 [weeks]. They though maybe he would hit the four week. When he couldn’t put pressure on the front of his foot, in the way that they wanted him to. They didn’t call it a setback, they just were hoping that he was going to progress faster and he didn’t.

Let’s go back to this too, that has always been the key for him. They want him to have a full week of practice. I think we can assume that the game against the Chargers on Thursday will not be realistic. Six weeks would be that week after, which is the Lions. I think if he’s healthy and cleared, that probably is the time we see him, unless by some miracle this week he’s feeling awesome.”

Dianna Russini – Scoop City

There’s multiple problems with the reality that McCarthy has forced Minnesota into. If the Vikings felt there was just a chance he could return in four weeks, than injured reserve would have made sense because at worst it would have been one additional missed game.

Also, the Minnesota Vikings flew McCarthy to Europe with the intentions of having him practice. They didn’t do so because of the healing that had yet to occur, according to Russini, but also the field conditions in London. Minnesota is looking to thread a needle in which everything must be perfect solely for McCarthy to get on the field.

Although not an official practice, Minnesota dubbed McCarthy (and Carson Wentz for that matter) as limited on Monday. That seems to suggest a full week of practice is not possible and he will be held out once again.

Combined with Kevin O’Connell having recently talked about McCarthy needing to shore up rudimentary things like his footwork and foundation, everything about the situation is a mess.

MN Vikings QB future gets interesting

Had Wentz played consistently competent football since being installed as the starter, this would be less of a talking point. The reality is that he hasn’t and he too is hurt. Russini also suggested that could cause problems as Minnesota tries to hang onto their playoff hopes.

“Where this is going to get a little fishy, I think, and a little dicey for them, is when everybody is healthy. What are we going to do? They will tell you they are going to go with J.J. McCarthy. In the meantime, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Aaron Rodgers are all doing very well.”

Dianni Russini – Scoop City

That last bit is telling, and certainly a shot across O’Connell’s bow from Russini. She banged the drum hard for Rodgers this offseason, and has been vindicated in doing so. The Vikings not having a clear direction, even when everyone is healthy, speaks to the progress McCarthy has made (or lack thereof) on the field as well.

Mike Florio recently wondered if it doesn’t need to be Max Brosmer, or even Kirk Cousins time. The reality is that multiple insiders can see the situation, and that things haven’t worked out as planned. You don’t need to pull the plug on McCarthy as a future consideration, but his lack of consistent health and developmental progress is beyond alarming.

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:34:04 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Both MN Vikings QBs Land on Early Week 8 Injury Report https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/carson-wentz-jj-mccarthy-limited-week-8-injury-report/ Mon, 20 Oct 2025 22:39:20 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69922 It’s a short week for the Minnesota Vikings, coming off an embarrassing week 7 home loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. They must flush their disappointment quickly, though, because now they must fly out West for a Thursday Night Football showdown in Los Angeles just a few days from now.

While the team didn’t officially practice on Monday, the first Week 8 injury report shared some insight into how the Vikings look health-wise, entering the shortest week of this gauntlet midseason stretch of games.

No healthy starting QB for the Minnesota Vikings

Despite being healthy enough to dress as Minnesota’s emergency QB3 Sunday against Philly, Carson Wentz got the start… and the 32-year-old’s fourth start in purple was inarguably his worst.

Nursing a left shoulder injury entering the contest, everything on Wentz was hurting by the time the game clock hit 00:00 at U.S. Bank Stadium, after he was hit 8 times, some of which were painful just to watch. On Monday’s injury report, both he and JJ McCarthy were listed as “Limited”.

Today’s QB statuses are interesting because, while McCarthy was listed as “Limited” all last week, Carson Wentz practiced in full, with the same left shoulder injury he is nursing now, yet this is the first time he has been limited at practice.

Nonetheless, Wentz seemed pretty confident during his postgame presser on Sunday, that he would be starting again Thursday night, even if O’Connell continues to play coy. Additionally, Ian Rapoport dropped a report before Sunday’s game against the Eagles, that had Wentz starting through Week 8.

Until we hear otherwise, expect Carson Wentz to start under center Thursday, no matter what the practice report says. Tuesday’s injury report will tell us a lot more about who will and will not be on the field in Inglewood later this week.

Veterans are worth watching for MN Vikings

Brian O’Neill returned to action after suffering a sprained MCL. The hope would be that he made it through the game no worse for the wear, and that his DNP designation is reflective of what would have been a veteran rest day. C.J. Ham also spent time on injured reserve this season, and giving him extra days off makes sense as well.

Their veteran counterpart, Andrew Van Ginkel, remained limited. He has missed multiple games this season due to a nagging neck injury and reports haven’t been great. He did get in action on a side field last week, but it never appeared as though he was in line to play.

Injuries have been a key deterrent of success this season for Minnesota. The Vikings have trended in a positive direction of late, and if there’s any way they salvage the season, that will need to continue.

]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:36:39 +0000 Minnesota Vikings O’Connell Playing Dumb on Vikings’ QB Future But Not Everyone Got Memo https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/who-will-start-mn-vikings-qb-vs-chargers-wentz-mccarthy-oconnell/ Sun, 19 Oct 2025 23:16:20 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69890 The Minnesota Vikings were nearly gifted a victory on Sunday afternoon against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. But there was one problem, they didn’t want to take it.

Despite the defense suffocating Saquon Barkley (18 CAR, 44 YDS) and keeping the Philly offense under wraps for much of the game, Brian Flores’ group was leaky in the worst possible place you can be in this era of defense — explosive plays.

That allowed Jalen Hurts to complete 3rd downs he’d normally have no business completing, eventually racking up 326 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, the scores of which were all delivered to his star wide receiver talents, AJ Brown (4 REC, 121 YDS, 2 TD) and DeVonta Smith (9 REC, 183 YDS, 1 TD).

Carson Wentz - Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

And the Minnesota Vikings offense… well, it had its own problems, especially in the red zone. Carson Wentz & Co. posted more total yards (387) than the Eagles (361) and won the time of possession battle pretty handedly (34:02-25:58).

Carson Wentz struggles, calls for JJ McCarthy getting louder

But when you can’t put the ball in the end zone, football games become much more difficult to win. So while moving the ball wasn’t that big of an issue,it turns out stalling out and settling for FIVE Will Reichard field goals very much was.

The other big reason for week 7’s loss was Carson Wentz — who deserves plenty of blame for the red zone problems too. This dude’s obsession with making dumb decisions, that cost the MN Vikings more than he is worth, is getting increasingly frustrating.

Against the Eagles, the 32-year-old former NDSU superstar finished the game 26-of-42 for 313 yards passing, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, both of which were extremely costly, stupid, and 100% avoidable. And even worse, you could argue they weren’t even his dumbest mistakes.

But guess what? There is no rest for the wicked and now, the Vikings are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Chargers out west just four days from now, on Thursday Night Football. Prior to today’s debacle, there were reports floating out there that Minnesota plans to roll with Wentz in LA, and possibly beyond.

Kevin O’Connell dances around MN Vikings QB question

But given the performance we just watched, it’s no surprise that fans across Vikings nation are calling for a change at quarterback now, especially being that JJ McCarthy was healthy enough to suit up as the team’s emergency QB3 today. When asked about that exact topic postgame, however, O’Connell danced around the question.

“I thought [Wentz] competed. We’ve got to see how he comes out, health wise, he had to use some legs there a couple times on that last drive. We’ll see how he turns over. I know Max [Brosmer] was ready to go today, and JJ [McCarthy] was the emergency [QB3]

JJ was able to get some work last week. We’ll see how he feels as well. On a short week, we’re gonna put together the best plan we can, and that also includes the players available to us.”

Kevin O’Connell on who will start at QB Thursday vs Chargers

That doesn’t sound like a coach who has picked a starter for next game yet, but I wouldn’t expect O’Connell to be completely forthcoming, either. On top of Wentz’ poor play and even poorer decision-making vs Philly, the guy took an absolute beating.

Beat up Carson Wentz expects to start for Minnesota Vikings in LA

Wentz was sacked twice, but hit 8 times, and you could tell he was feeling the pain early and often, something the head coach was happy to bring up, when discussing his decision at QB1 for Thursday. When he was asked about his readiness on a quick turnaround, though, Carson was much more up front and honest than his head coach.

In fact, we found out a few things about the thoughts rolling through Carson’s mind this afternoon. Most intriguing is that the veteran quarterback clearly expects to be the Minnesota Vikings’ starter again Thursday.

After taking such a beating today, the aging North Dakota kid may not seem all that excited about it, and he may not be a fan of Thursday Night Football in general, but there’s no hiding the fact that he expects to be under center for it.

Now, we’ll see how Kevin O’Connell really feels about Sunday’s performance. Because Carson Wentz’ presser gave away what the plans were. If JJ McCarthy starts on Thursday, it means KOC was disgusted enough watching the game today, that he felt compelled to change course.

]]> Sun, 19 Oct 2025 18:16:23 +0000 Minnesota Vikings MN Vikings QB Puzzle Solved vs Eagles; Other Week 7 Takeaways https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/carson-wentz-flops-jalen-hurts-perfect-week-7-takeaways/ Sun, 19 Oct 2025 21:00:54 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69884 Coming off their Week 6 bye, and a two-week stretch in Europe, the Minnesota Vikings returned to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time in a month on Sunday. Their schedule gets infinitely more difficult, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles contest, and at 3-2 they don’t have time to figure things out.

It remained the Carson Wentz show against his former team in Week 7. That was a significant part of the problem, and unfortunately Jalen Hurts destroyed Minnesota at every opportunity.

Carson Wentz has run his course for the MN Vikings

Right before the season started Minnesota brought Carson Wentz in to serve as their backup quarterback. With Max Brosmer winning a roster spot, they needed a veteran option. He has stepped in over the last four weeks in the wake of J.J. McCarthy’s ankle injury, but Sunday’s performance has to turn the page.

Early on Sunday Wentz threw poorly to Jordan Addison on three different occasions before a pick six and a punt interception. The hole he dug early was ugly, and entirely avoidable.

It’s all fine and well that he was better in the second half, but that’s good because he had to be. A benching after getting down 14-3 and turning the ball over for a second time would have been completely warranted.

When the dust settled, and the Eagles wrapped up their 28-22 victory, Wentz owned a 26-of-42 for 313 yards stat line. He was picked off twice, but did scramble for 28 yards on four carries. There was plenty of pressure that impacted some of his follow through, but the majority of issues offensively came back to execution from the quarterback.

There was a pregame suggestion that Wentz could hold down the job if he performed. He did anything but, and J.J. McCarthy needs to be readied as the starter for Thursday night.

Vikings pass defense torched by Jalen Hurts

Coming into Sunday, Brian Flores’ secondary was among the best in football. Their 157.6 passing yards allowed per game represented the second-best mark of any team, and trailed only the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota put pressure on Jalen Hurts, and sacked him three times, but he made a mockery of the group.

Going 19-of-23 for 326 yards and three touchdowns, he finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating. It was easily his best game of the season, and among the best of his career.

A.J. Brown, who has largely been held quiet this season, hauled in four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns. His one-on-one matchup with Isiah Rodgers on third down with the game on the line sealed the contest.

Flores wasn’t the only coach with a poor day though. After a wonderfully coached game against the Browns, Kevin O’Connell laid another egg.

Most notable was the 4th quarter sequence as Minnesota watched time dwindle. Trailing by nine, O’Connell opted to go for it on 4th and 2 with 2:58 remaining. The conversion set up first and goal, but an immediate sack, and conservative attempts, led to nothing but 1:01 wasted and the same three points.

The Vikings never got the ball back and Philadelphia put a stop to their two-game skid. Now 3-3, the Vikings have to turn around a short week and win against Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers. Putting McCarthy back under center will bring all of the storylines as he faces his former college coach in his return.

]]> Sun, 19 Oct 2025 16:00:58 +0000 Minnesota Vikings