J.J. McCarthy was outstanding as the Minnesota Vikings overcame the bitter pill of being eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day to put the Dallas Cowboys on the brink of elimination with a 34-26 victory at Arlington Stadium on Sunday night.
If J.J. McCarthy felt like he was in a washing machine during his first six starts, as he told NBC before Sunday night's Vikings-Cowboys game, the door has opened, allowing him to play with a ton of confidence.
The Minnesota Vikings have been eliminated from the playoffs, marking the fourth time in the last six seasons that they've failed to reach the postseason tournament.
While a miracle path to the playoffs still exists, the more realistic outcome is that the Minnesota Vikings will miss the playoffs and be picking in the top half of the 2026 NFL Draft. Just how high will they pick?
If Minnesota can't make the playoffs, the next-best thing might be doing their part to help prevent the Cowboys from getting in. Remember, the Green Bay Packers are a legit Super Bowl contender largely because Jerry Jones traded them Micah Parsons.
"Nine" was amazing in Minnesota's win over Detroit back in November, but J.J. McCarthy's struggles in the games that followed turned his alter ego, "Nine," into a meme and the laughing stock of the National Football League.