J.J. McCarthy Struggles Passing in Vikings Loss, Unable to Rely on Rushing Upside

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, managing just 150 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions on 16 of 32 attempts against a Bears defense missing top cornerback Jaylon Johnson. This was his fourth game with under 160 passing yards in five outings this season, bringing his total to six touchdown passes versus eight interceptions. For the first time this season, McCarthy registered no carries, having previously averaged 27.5 rushing yards per game with two rushing touchdowns across his first four appearances. His fantasy value has often relied on his rushing upside, with 32.6% of his fantasy points coming from the run. Despite throwing for only 74 yards for most of the game, he led a late drive, more than doubling his passing yards, and threw a 15-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison to briefly give the Vikings a 17-16 lead with 50 seconds remaining. He will need significant improvement in his passing game and is considered a bad fantasy bet for the next two weeks at Green Bay and Seattle.