Prior to the Giants trading for J.J. McCarthy, Gary Meyers sent along a post insisting that the possibility was out there as a legitimate topic to monitor. He ended up being correct in short order, meaning he’s got some credibility on the topic.

Meyers has jumped back into the mix, doing so with a post that caught some attention due to its criticisms of Kevin O’Connell.

“One thing that’s laughable: Once Vikings gave up on JJ McCarthy,” Meyers writes, “the narrative was if Kevin O’Connell didn’t want him, he was never going to be any good. When did KOC become Bill Walsh?” Further from the football writer: “He got credit for Sam Darnold, but it was the year with Kyle Shanahan in SF behind Brock Purdy that turned around Sam’s career. Shouldn’t KOC at least win his first playoff game before he’s considered some QB genius? Maybe he turns out to be right about McCarthy, but let’s see how he does with @Giants.”

Kevin O’Connell and The “Laughable” J.J. McCarthy Perspective

The New York Giants had to sacrifice a 5th to pickup a 23-year-old QB1. Not too shabby, right?

Of course, there’s still much that McCarthy needs to prove, but he’s getting the opportunity to do precisely that: prove himself as the new starter in the Big Apple. Last weekend, McCarthy did some nice work stepping into the 4th quarter, finding WR1 Malik Nabers and TE1 Isaiah Likely. Continuing to find those two for lively, explosive gains will mean that John Harbaugh is a very pleased Harbaugh.

Did the Vikings misfire on this one?

Since the trade occurred, I’ve been among those who have insisted that Minnesota did poorly in this trade. Surely some of the rationale involved clearing cap space alongside being able to fully turn the page on a new era. Doing so for a 5th was deemed worth it by Nolan Teasley.

The new GM knows far, far more about football than myself, so it’s possible I’ve read the situation incorrectly and that scooping up a Day 3 selection was the best path forward.

Part of what makes the Meyers criticism up above notable, though, is the accuracy of many of the statements.

So far, Kevin O’Connell has proven to be a good coach but nothing more than that. A skipper cannot be considered great without playoff success. His regular season win percentage is impressive but his playoff win record is the opposite. Worse yet, the offense has never been elite under his watch despite being gifted some excellent players, including a historically-great receiver in Justin Jefferson.

With McCarthy specifically, O’Connell didn’t do the kid many favors. I’ve listed my criticisms at many points in the past, but the basic gist is that Minnesota’s top coach put far too much on McCarthy far too early. Afterwards, O’Connell moved on far too early, compounding the problem.

The point, then, isn’t to make any bold, sweeping proclamations. Or, at least, we shouldn’t yet be doing so. Rather, the point is to insist that patience is needed on this one.

Entirely writing off J.J. McCarthy or Kevin O’Connell would be foolish. Quite possibly, the kid will do well in his career’s second chapter while the head coach shines while working alongside Kyler Murray. Alternatively, neither could occur or some middle ground arrives that’s then fodder for sports debate.

In this wait-and-see mode, don’t rush to make too many frisky proclamations on social media. And when you’re looking for opinions, pay special attention to those who have been correct in the past.