J.J. McCarthy’s injury was expected to hold him out of the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 4 contest in Ireland against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has now made it official. Carson Wentz will get the start next week after a solid performance in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Carson Wentz will ‘get another opportunity’ to start for the Vikings against the Steelers,” Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling wrote on X from O’Connell’s postgame press conference.
“He’s responded well to the early part of the treatment, but for a young player, you know, I want to make sure that he’s healthy,” O’Connell said of McCarthy.
The Vikings throttled the Bengals 48-10 with both teams starting their backup quarterback. Only difference is Wentz is a former Pro Bowler and All-Pro while Bengals backup QB Jake Browning has seven career starts and a 4-3 record to his name.
Wentz didn’t have as gaudy a stat line as you would imagine in a 38-point win, but he didn’t need to with his defense spotting him two touchdowns and an early lead. Wentz completed 14-of-20 passes for 173 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. It was his first start since Week 18 of last year for the Kansas City Chiefs when they rested starters. He also started Week 18 for the Los Angeles Rams the season prior.
The Vikings proved they are a dangerous team with or without their starting quarterback with Jordan Mason helping them to a team total of 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Vikings will also be getting WR Jordan Addison back against the Steelers from his three-game suspension.
I still have unwanted flashbacks to the Steelers’ ugly 34-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Wentz’s rookie season when he carved them up for over 300 yards. McCarthy may be the future of the Vikings’ franchise, but Wentz is probably the better quarterback at this point in time. His experience will be no cakewalk for the Steelers to contend with next week.
