New Vikings QB Carson Wentz will need more help than J.J. McCarthy got vs. Falcons

If new Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz is going to have more success than injured quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Wentz will need more help than what McCarthy was given in Sunday night’s loss to the Falcons.

That means better blocking from offensive linemen, tight ends and receivers.

That means quicker developing pass plays if that blocking is not reliable.

Coordinator Wes Phillips told reporters on Tuesday that too often somebody wasn’t doing their job within the relatively few plays — just 46 — generated on offense. He pointed to a couple examples like the 19-yard throw to receiver Adam Thielen and the 17-yard throw to receiver Jalen Nailor when everyone, including McCarthy, was on point.

“The more of that we can get,” Phillips said, “I think you’ll start to see our offense grow more and more. There is an aspect as well of us learning not only J.J.’s strengths, Carson Wentz coming in, our offensive line — what schemes they are really taking to.”

Ready, set, go? Coaches haven’t had long to learn about Wentz, the 10th-year veteran on his sixth NFL team. He’s been with the Vikings for three weeks. But what’s clear is he isn’t walking into a finely-tuned machine. Film from the Falcons loss shows mistakes made by everyone from the rookie left guard to the team captain right tackle.

The Atlanta Falcons can’t produce a 53.3% pressure rate, the franchise’s best pass-rushing game in seven years, without unforced errors by the Vikings.

“That’s a play where we should have that defensive end blocked,” Phillips said, “and we just have to be on the same page across the board.”

The Falcons sacked McCarthy six times. Two came via unblocked defenders.

O’Neill also does not appear to be on the same page in this video below. You’ll see the offensive line slide right, except O’Neill’s first step is to his left. This pinches right guard Will Fries and leaves an unblocked edge rusher off the right side. Running back Jordan Mason is presumably supposed to cross McCarthy’s face and pick up the edge rusher on the left side. Mason stops and neither edge rusher gets blocked.

The Vikings’ O-line also struggled to pick up the Falcons’ defensive line movement. Atlanta wasn’t simply rushing straight ahead. They ran many twists, also called “stunts” or “games,” that Vikings’ interior blockers didn’t always pass off to each other.

On the opening third-and-7, when McCarthy scrambled for 6 yards, a Falcons twist generated quick pressure past center Ryan Kelly and Fries — a duo that has played many games together going back to Indianapolis.

On a third-and-2 in the first half, McCarthy was sacked again.

The Falcons were aggressive defensively. They played more “base,” or standard run-stopping personnel, against the Vikings’ three-receiver groupings that are meant to get defenses into lighter formations with more defensive backs.

But even when the Falcons matched lightweight-for-lightweight personnel, like on this third-and-2 below, the Vikings couldn’t block. The Falcons show six defenders at the line and send a five-man blitz. Tight end T.J. Hockenson and Mason seal the left edge, leaving two rushers for left tackle Justin Skule and rookie left guard Donovan Jackson. Watch as Jackson (74) misses a looping Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. (27) from his outside.

Plenty of issues surrounded McCarthy, but the 22-year-old quarterback’s decision making and timing left plays on the field. Coaches are likely hoping Wentz can better play on schedule and find the one-on-one opportunities as he goes from options No. 1 to No. 2 to No. 3 in the progression.

Among the six sacks on McCarthy, there was at least one — on third-and-14 in the red zone after Skule was beaten for a different sack — that was solely on the quarterback.

McCarthy wasn’t quick enough with his decision making or throws.

In the third quarter, McCarthy nearly threw another pick to Falcons cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. when he was a tick late on a pass to Hockenson.

The video below highlights the brief window to Hockenson (87), who gets open against Bowman (in zone coverage leverage with his back to the sideline). This is a fine read by McCarthy if the throw comes quick enough. There’s also more meat left on the bone as Nailor (1) nicely snaps off his deep route and has good leverage against the defender farther down the same side of the field.

McCarthy’s average time to throw of 3.15 seconds is the second-longest in the league through two weeks, according NFL Next Gen Stats.

This is affected not only by slower decision making, but also longer-developing pass plays. McCarthy is averaging the second-most air yardage per attempt while getting very little from receivers after the catch.

Phillips, the offensive coordinator, said coaches have talked about implementing more quick throws. But those plays are not as easy to execute as they sound.

“The one thing about quick game ... the defense has to cover for this long,” said Phillips, who snapped his fingers. “It doesn’t mean you don’t like quick game, but the throws have to be — footwork and timing are essential in the quick game world. Being able to take the right footwork, seeing the defense quickly. You have to start your arm almost before you see it.”

Does the precision of quick passes mean that’s more difficult on inexperienced quarterbacks like McCarthy?

“It’s based on the individual quarterback,” Phillips said. “Some guys love quick game and some guys don’t. ... J.J. is up for any plays scheme-wise. ... There’s some guys that have always run a lot of quick game, liked quick game. ... Fast-release guys that just want to get the ball out of their hand quickly. We got to find ways to put the ball in the hands of our playmakers, first and foremost, no matter how that is done.”

O’Connell called at least two screens vs. Atlanta. Both went nowhere.

Running back Aaron Jones dropped a screen that would’ve been a huge gain in the third quarter.

Earlier in the game, a missed block by receiver Tim Jones (14) — the “mental error” that O’Connell referenced — undercut a screen attempt to Mason. In the video below, you’ll see a slick design that uses Justin Jefferson (18) as a clear-out decoy. Jefferson’s pre-snap motion and sprint downfield serves to get the secondary on their heels before the underneath pass. This gets blocked nicely except for Tim Jones, a veteran special teamer who doesn’t play offense often.