J.J. McCarthy's rough home debut: What went wrong for the Vikings?

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trailing by nine and facing third-and-1 deep in their own end early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings put their trust in quarterback J.J. McCarthy. However, his deep pass down the left sideline sailed five yards beyond an open Jalen Nailor’s grasp and the Vikings were forced to punt.

It was one miscue on a night filled with them for McCarthy and the Vikings, who in two games have ridden the highs and lows of having a first-year starter at quarterback.

One week after leading a fourth-quarter comeback in Chicago that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, McCarthy struggled mightily in his first game in front of Vikings fans. McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards, was sacked six times and committed three turnovers in the Vikings’ 22-6 loss to the Falcons on Sunday night.

“This is unfortunate, but I know we have a great ... culture (in the) locker room and that we’re going to respond from this,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to learn and get better and bounce back next week.”

Playing most of the game without two of their starting offensive linemen, the Vikings' offense looked disjointed all night. They rushed for just 78 yards, allowed regular pressure on McCarthy and couldn’t make a big play when it mattered most.

For instance, the only time they got the ball into the red zone came early in the second quarter. McCarthy and Nailor hooked up for 17 yards to get the ball down to the Atlanta 2-yard line. But then a fumble, a delay of game penalty and a sack derailed any hopes of finding the end zone.

“That right there in a nutshell is what the night kind of was,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And there’s nobody that’s going to fix those things besides our coaches and players.”

Atlanta led 12-6 through three quarters, but Vikings fans had to be hoping for more fourth-quarter magic from McCarthy when Minnesota took over at midfield with 15 minutes left. But on the first play of the quarter, McCarthy was sacked by Zach Harrison and fumbled the ball. The Falcons recovered, added a field goal to make it a two-score game and never looked back.

McCarthy also threw two interceptions and missed a handful of open receivers in big moments, including the deep shot to Nailor on third-and-1 on the first possession after his fumble. But O’Connell saw more good than bad in McCarthy’s performance.

“It’s going to be easy to try to put the microscope on J.J., and there’s certainly some plays, some throws, some things that I’m sure he would love to (have back),” O’Connell said. “But when we did move it, I thought he made some throws and I thought he showed his athleticism.”

Just 22 years old, McCarthy has been lauded for his maturity, which showed up after three rough quarters in his debut against the Bears. Now he’s got another chance to demonstrate how he responds to adversity, both as a quarterback and as a team leader.

“It’s an all-11 thing, and it starts with me first,” McCarthy said. “This is a long season. Everyone’s telling me this is a journey and I believe them wholeheartedly.”

One veteran teammate said he’s got full confidence that McCarthy will learn and improve quickly.

“He’s built for that,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said. “I think that’s why they fell in love with him in the draft process and why we all are so confident in him — because he’s legitimately built for that. So it’s going to be a process as a team, like it is every year.”

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) passes the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus (54) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison (96) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison (96) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal has made extensive complaints about the way its national soccer team is being treated in Morocco ahead of Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against the host nation.

The Senegalese Football Federation, known as FSF, issued a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning in which it criticized a lack of security arrangements for the team’s arrival in Rabat, problems with the team’s accommodation, issues with the training facilities, and difficulties getting a fair ticket allocation for its supporters.

It called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the local organizing committee to “immediately take every corrective measure to guarantee respect for the principles of fair play, equal treatment, and security indispensable for the success of this celebration of African football.”

Senegal 's players traveled by train from Tangier to Rabat on Friday, but found what the federation said was a “clear lack of adequate security measures” upon their arrival. Social media videos showed the players and staff surrounded by crowds of people jostling to get selfies and photos as they attempted to make their way to the team bus.

“We have to say what happened is abnormal, abnormal. For a team like Senegal to be left with the crowd like that, the players were in danger. Anything could have happened through the actions of malicious people,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said Saturday at the pre-match news conference.

Anger boiled over during the news conference when a Moroccan journalist suggested CAF was to blame for the shortcomings and not the local organizing committee. Senegalese media objected to his statement.

The federation said the lack of security at the train station "exposed the players and technical staff to overcrowding and risks incompatible with the standards of a competition of this magnitude and the prestige of a continental final.”

The federation said it had to file a formal written complaint to get adequate hotel accommodation for the team after its arrival in Rabat. It did not describe the condition of the accommodation the team was first offered.

The federation said it notified CAF of its “categorical refusal” to hold team training sessions at the Mohammed VI Complex, which is where the Morocco team has been based for the whole tournament. Morocco was to train there also Saturday.

The federation said it “raises a question of sporting fairness” and that it still waiting to be informed of where the Senegal team could train. The Olympic Stadium was finally announced as the venue Saturday 1½ hours before the training session was due to take place.

The federation said the ticketing situation was “concerning.” It was only able to purchase 2,850 tickets for its supporters, the maximum according to limits authorized by CAF.

The federation said the allocation is “insufficient given the demand” and that it “deplores the imposed restrictions, which penalize the Senegalese public.”

The capacity of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is hosting the final, is 69,500 fans. Morocco has been buoyed by vociferous support in all its games so far.

Morocco is bidding to end a 50-year wait for its second Africa Cup title.

Senegal, which won the 2021 trophy, is also going for its second title.

“Up to today, the organization was great, it’s being talked about all over the world, and a big thank you to Morocco for this wonderful organization. They’ve really raised the bar for calmness, and let’s hope it continues” Thiaw said. ”But after what happened yesterday, whatever anyone might say, I don’t know, we all saw it, we’re all witnesses to what happened yesterday. It shouldn’t happen again. It’s the image of Africa ... I’m not speaking as a Senegalese coach, I’m speaking as an African. And I'm speaking on behalf of Africans. And once we get out of this, we’re going to focus on this final. We want to bring home this trophy."

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

Senegal squad pose before the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Bounaji)