The Minnesota Vikings’ preseason is straight-up brutal right now, jumping from bad to painful in a hurry. Backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy, their highest-drafted QB ever, is showing serious regression, and the edge rusher depth behind the starters is looking dangerously thin. After a 13-3 loss to the Ravens, the vibes are not good, and analysts Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano didn’t hold back breaking it all down.
J.J. McCarthy: Is He Off The Train For Good?
It’s tough to watch, but McCarthy is apparently regressing. Dave Stefano didn’t mince words, flat out saying, “I think he’s regressed.” He mentioned the guy flashes at times and gets everyone hyped, but then he just “reverts.” The gut punch? Dave is “off his train.” Darren Campbell piled on, pointing out that “the ruthless consistency that you need to be an NFL quarterback… is just not there with J.J. McCarthy at this point in time.” It’s the same story from 2025: inaccuracy, poor ball placement, and shaky pocket presence are still big issues. Darren even said he’d feel “more confident in Carson Wentz being the backup quarterback than I do in J.J. McCarthy.” Dave even floated a wild one, suggesting trading McCarthy to the Colts one-for-one for Anthony Richardson. Talk about a fresh start, huh?
Edge Rushers: Dangerously Thin Behind The Stars
If McCarthy wasn’t enough, the edge rusher situation is equally unsettling. Starters Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel are solid; Turner was “killing it” in joint practices, which is great. But behind them? It’s a giant question mark. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Tyler Batty, Bo Richter, and Chaz Chambliss combined for just over 110 defensive snaps last season. Darren’s concern was palpable, wondering if they can even be “really an effective guy.” The veteran free-agent market isn’t helping either, with Za’Darius Smith going to Atlanta, Von Miller to Dallas, and Derek Barnett to Cleveland. Haason Reddick, Kyle Van Noy, Joey Bosa, and Leonard Floyd are still out there, but time is running out. Dave suggested GM Nolan Teasley might just wait for cut-down day on August 30th to scavenge for reinforcements. That’s a high-stakes gamble!
Brian Flores: The Unlikely Silver Lining
Amidst all the struggles, there’s one weird silver lining: Brian Flores. His discrimination lawsuit against the NFL is still dragging on with no end in sight. That means he’s stuck with the Vikings and can’t jump to a head coaching gig. Dave put it plainly: “The longer it drags on, the longer he gets to stay.” Darren even predicted that once the Vikings’ offense finally catches up to Flores’ defense, “that’s when the Vikings are gonna be… a Super Bowl contender.” So, as painful as this preseason is, at least they’ve got that to look forward to.
What’s next for the Vikings? GM Nolan Teasley has to figure out the edge rusher depth before cut-down day on August 30th. Can they find the right guys to shore up that D? And everyone will be watching to see if McCarthy can shake off this regression, or if Dave Stefano’s prediction comes true.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply