Kevin O'Connell's play calling shift could be the key to unlocking J.J. McCarthy's potential and the numbers back it up

Quick game is working for the Minnesota Vikings

It's been important for the Vikings to get the offense rolling, but there have been challenges. They started the season without left tackle Christian Darrisaw, and it was a tough one for first-time starter J.J. McCarthy. There wasn't much of a focus on quick game.

Over the first two games, McCarthy had just seven dropbacks under 2.5 seconds, completing five of them for 32 yards and an interception. It was also a whopping -1.48 EPA/play, which is last among all quarterbacks with a start. It wasn't much better when he took more than 2.5 seconds to throw the ball either, ranking just ahead of Dillon Gabriel, Jaxson Dart, and Jake Browning at -0.53 EPA/play. On 43 dropbacks, McCarthy completed 19-34 for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The shift in quick game philosophy has made a huge difference. Over the last three games, Carson Wentz has been very efficient. He has 58 dropbacks and not a single sack. His EPA/play is 0.25, ranking 11th in the NFL, ahead of Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott. He's completed 44/58 passes for 387 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Wentz has also performed admirably in dropbacks that take longer than 2.5 seconds, including a whopping 12 sacks and 29 pressures on 53 dropbacks. He's 14th in EPA/play, slightly ahead of Lamar Jackson, but he's finding a way to be efficient, completing 25-41 for 372 yards and two touchdowns.

The big thing about the shift has been the threat of throwing short. It changes how teams approach the Vikings' offense. The deep shots are less frequent, but they are still making an impact. There were multiple opportunities for deep shots against the Steelers, but for outside reasons, they weren't able to capitalize.

Once McCarthy takes over, this strategy will likely still be there to maximize what he can do right away. The key is going to be getting him fully healthy and having his footwork crisp and clean, something that wasn't there early on.

We've seen how O'Connell has maximized this offense when there has been a lack of talent due to injuries, and it can be the identity for the Vikings as they continue growing with McCarthy under center.

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