Commanders opponent admits to 'reckless' QB strategy

A Tale of Two Coaches

The same cannot be said for this week’s Commanders opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, and their head coach, Kevin O’Connell.

As the reigning Coach of the Year Award winner, O’Connell has crafted a reputation for himself as not just one of the best in the NFL, but also as perhaps the best quarterback developer in the league on top of it.

His comments about his current quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, and his development have left many scratching their heads, and may indicate a big week is possibly coming for the Washington defense this weekend.

'Just Throw and Catch'

What O’Connell said that has people confused, stunned even, is that he wants McCarthy’s fundamental mechanical development to take a backseat moving forward, and instead, he just wants his quarterback to go out there and play. It’s a stance being described as potentially reckless, especially for an offense that already leads the league in turnovers this season.

"I don't want him overthinking or worrying about if the fundamentals need to be changed, if they need to be adjusted, if we need more time on task on that. That's one thing, but let's just make the throws. Let's just throw and catch," O’Connell said.

The idea, the coach added, is that by embracing this approach, McCarthy could play clear-headed, avoiding the overthinking pitfalls that he believes actually lead to a large portion of the turnovers committed.

Detractors are claiming plenty of turnover issues creep up because of the lack of mechanical polish on McCarthy’s game, and if forced into pressure or pass-heavy scenarios, they could play right into the hands of an opposing defense. This week, that defense resides in Washington and is coming up north looking to capitalize on the opportunity to take advantage of a quarterback with a coach who literally sounds like he wants to stop trying to develop him at this stage of the season.

"As I talk to him this week, it's purely about decision making at this point, and there'll be time to fundamentally focus on things and continue building this layer... into the future.

"It's purely about decision making at this point,” O’Connell continued. “I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play."

Opportunity for Washington

With McCarthy freed from the shackles of good mechanics and sound passing, the Commanders will look to muddy the waters around the quarterback’s clear-headed approach in Week 14. Getting a few sacks and maybe an interception or two would not only aid greatly in Washington snapping its losing streak, but it would also fan the flames of confusion circling last year’s Coach of the Year, and feed into the frustration already festering around the Vikings’ organization.