Souhan: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy looks lost in front of home crowd

Outside the Vikings locker room late Sunday night sat a large wooden crate, upon which was scrawled, and I am not making this up, “Vikings Stiff.”

Was this graffiti intended as commentary on the franchise’s postseason limitations? Or was that a description of clothes left behind by Kirk Cousins, the NFL player most likely to become the celebrity spokesman for extra starch?

Sadly for the Vikings and their overly optimistic fans, on this night, the black ink described the athletic movements of their young quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, who needs to prove he can think outside that box.

In his debut at U.S. Bank Stadium, McCarthy looked like he was scared inelastic. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Vikings 22-6 as he completed 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He took six sacks and fumbled three times, losing one.

McCarthy has played eight quarters in the NFL. Seven of them have been frighteningly bad. And his one good quarter — the fourth, last Monday night in Chicago — came against a defense that gave up 52 points to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Through two games, McCarthy looks more like journeyman Josh Dobbs than refurbished Sam Darnold.

Asked about McCarthy handling what had to be one of the worst performances of his life, Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said: “I think he’s built for that. I think that’s why they fell in love with him in the draft process, why we all are so confident in him.”

By the third quarter, the Vikings were missing nine of their 22 presumptive starters because of injuries or suspension.

They were facing a talented Falcons team that might finally have a defense to support its offensive skill.

McCarthy was making his second NFL start on a short week of work following the Monday night opener in Chicago, and mere days after missing practice to be with his fiancée for the birth of their son.

Want a dose of reality? We’ve got that, too.

McCarthy has a long way to go and a short time to get there if this season’s Vikings are going to do anything more than compete with the Bears for third place in the NFC North.

For the second time in two games, he threw an interception on a sideline route. For the second time in two games, he looked inept for three quarters.

Against Chicago, he produced three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Against Atlanta, McCarthy produced zero points.

If not for that fourth quarter in Chicago, we might be hearing realistic rumors about the Vikings trading for Falcons backup Kirk Cousins or inserting former first-round pick Carson Wentz, now the Vikings’ backup.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell gave no indication that he’s considering anything other than improving the quality of play around McCarthy, which makes sense.

McCarthy was under duress, in part because of injuries to the offensive line. The Vikings again failed to generate a running game in the first quarter, as starting running back Aaron Jones again struggled to get past the line of scrimmage.

After the game, McCarthy, shirtless, walked through the locker room, bumping fists and hugging a couple of teammates. He spoke with Thielen, then the Vikings PR team, then sat at his locker, stretching his neck.

Wentz sat beside him, and they spoke at length before McCarthy put on a purple shirt and headed to the postgame interview room.

He was asked about his brief conversation with O’Connell on the sideline toward the end of the game.

“The extent was just, you know, there’s a lot of things we’ve got to clean up,” McCarthy said. “And there’s a bright future ahead in that locker room.”