Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell feeling positive about health of J.J. McCarthy, two offensive tackles

With quarterback J.J. McCarthy expected to be ready for a “full week” of practice ahead of a potential return Nov. 2 at the Detroit Lions, coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday that the reeling Vikings (3-4) may also have both starting tackles.

Quarterback Carson Wentz had just one of the Vikings’ premier bookends — left tackle Christian Darrisaw, for nine plays — during Thursday night’s 37-10 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers. Darrisaw took himself out of the game while trying to play on a surgically-repaired left knee that felt the burden of having played all 69 snaps against the Eagles just four days prior.

“I do feel positive about where both Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are today,” O’Connell said, “and hopefully in regards to their work week next week and leading into being available.”

O’Connell’s Vikings enter the mini-bye week, which comes with an extra three days’ rest and an additional practice on Monday, with some soul searching to do after losing by the second-worst point margin (-27) and third-worst yardage margin (-255) in the coach’s 3½ seasons.

McCarthy, who returned to practice last week for the first time since the Sept. 14 high ankle sprain, continued his on-field work Friday, O’Connell said. Players arrived back to their cars at the facility around 5 a.m. following Thursday night’s drubbing.

“We can’t look at it as an outlier. We have to find a way to find our rhythm, find our identity as a group,” O’Connell said. “With J.J., he’ll play an integral part of that from a standpoint of his ability to throw completions, his ability to get our playmakers involved, and his ability to use his athleticism that we saw early on in the season.”

O’Neill did not play against the Chargers because of soreness in his left knee, which is separate from the injured right knee that kept him out of the Oct. 5 win vs. the Browns.

“I’m hoping this Sunday-to-Sunday schedule,” O’Connell said, “will help hopefully with getting a little bit more of 71 out there on a consistent basis.”

“It’s no secret how critical he’s been to our success,” O’Connell added. “How critical he’s been to our consistency and I’d go along the same route with what Brian O’Neill has meant to our offense as well as those two pillars on the outside that allow so much to go for our offense.”

The numbers are in and it’s safe to say that Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has coordinator Brian Flores’ pressure schemes adequately deciphered.

Since losing as a rookie in 2020 to Flores’ Dolphins, Herbert has won both matchups against Flores’ Vikings defense in 2023 and on Thursday night.

Herbert completed 13 of 15 passes for 162 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the blitz on Thursday night. In a 2023 win against the Vikings, Herbert threw for a career-high 301 yards against blitzes, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Up: Safety Harrison Smith played just 68 snaps over his first three games while returning from a personal health issue. He has more than doubled that within a five-day span. Smith, second on the team with nine tackles in Los Angeles, has started the last two games against the Eagles and Chargers while playing 110 of 123 (89%) snaps.

Down: Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who was benched against the Eagles and played no defensive snaps for the first time in his 35th NFL game, returned to the starting lineup, but to a part-time role. Pace had three tackles and a quarterback hit while playing 17 defensive snaps (23%). Veteran linebacker Eric Wilson continued to play multiple roles, including starting the game as an edge defender.

The New York Jets claimed linebacker Kobe King off waivers from the Vikings on Friday. The Vikings waived King, the rookie sixth-round pick out of Penn State, to make room for running back Aaron Jones on the 53-man roster Thursday. Coaches made King a healthy scratch on Sunday against the Eagles after he had appeared in five games on special teams.

Speaking of Vikings draft picks, free-agent safety Lewis Cine tried out for the Chargers on Friday; Cine, the 2022 first-round pick, worked out for the Patriots last week.