13-play stint caps emotional day for J.J. McCarthy’s long-awaited return

MINNEAPOLIS — Before going to bed Friday night, J.J. McCarthy felt his emotions bubble up. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback was set to play in his first game in 364 days, and he said it was impossible to think of it as another day of summer football.

“It was just the journey that any injured player goes on to be back out there and doing the thing that they love,” McCarthy said after the Vikings’ 20-10 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.

“It just shows how much I care for this game.”

McCarthy said there was “a little teardrop” during the national anthem at U.S. Bank Stadium before he took the field for a 13-play stint that cemented his return from a torn meniscus in his right knee that ended his rookie season.

He completed his first three passes, all to wide receiver Jordan Addison, and led the Vikings to a field goal on their opening drive before coach Kevin O’Connell pulled him from the lineup. McCarthy finished with four completions in seven attempts for 30 yards while also converting a fourth down with an 8-yard run.

“I love the fact that we were able to hit an explosive play in the pass game,” O’Connell said of an 18-yard pass McCarthy threw on an out cut to Addison. “I love the fact that we converted some third downs. I love the fact that on the fourth down, he used his legs to ‘steal one.’

“And I think there’s just a level of composure and poise to how he ran the show. That was exactly what I was looking for — and now we go back to work.”

O’Connell said he took McCarthy out after the first series primarily because he didn’t want to play the rest of his starters much further. The Vikings started four of the five offensive linemen they are expected to use in the regular season, along with Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Tailback Aaron Jones Sr. sat out, but McCarthy had veteran Jordan Mason — who will split carries this season with Jones — on the field with him, as well.

McCarthy has had his ups and downs during training camp, and Saturday’s outing was no exception. Addison reached behind him to grab one pass then dove to catch another, and McCarthy threw high to wideout Lucky Jackson on a third down for an incompletion.

After a summer of practicing against defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme, McCarthy found himself moving faster than he needed to through his progressions Saturday.

“When you go against Flo’s defense, your timing is always like one hitch and it’s got to be out,” McCarthy said. “And I feel like there was a couple of occasions [Saturday] where I could have sat in there and trusted the pocket and made a better decision in that time frame. The one to Lucky across the middle, if I would’ve just waited a click longer, I would’ve found him in that window.”

McCarthy’s most notable moment came one play later when he converted the first down with his 8-yard scramble. The Vikings believe he suffered last year’s meniscus injury on a run, but McCarthy has said throughout camp that he would not shy away from running this season and beyond.

“I’m still trying to find that second gear where I can really turn up the field and all that,” he said. “But we’ll save that for the regular season.”

McCarthy might not play again before the team’s Sept. 8 regular-season opener at the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football.” The Vikings have two days of joint practices this week with the New England Patriots, which O’Connell suggested would take the place of preseason action for most starters next weekend, and the coach said he will eventually assess whether McCarthy will need any work in the preseason finale.

“It felt clean for the most part,” O’Connell said of the Vikings’ performance Saturday. “It’s never going to be perfect, but it felt like we were a football team going in the right direction.”