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J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during training camp.
It’s going to be a tough road ahead for J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings.
In his first year as a starting quarterback, McCarthy will also be facing the rigors and mental grind of a full NFL season for the first time after he missed his rookie year with a meniscus injury.
An unprecedented two-week trip overseas in the first five games of the season surely won’t do McCarthy any favors either.
Sportsbook Review compiled fatigue scores for every NFL team and found the Vikings’ schedule to rank ninth in overall fatigue.
“We’ve never seen an NFL schedule quite like the Vikings’, particularly because of that historic two-week trip overseas. If they weren’t staying in Dublin to offset some of that travel fatigue, they’d feature one of the five toughest loads of any team this season,” Sportsbook Review’s C Jackson Cowert told Heavy exclusively.
“Minnesota has the double-whammy of ranking in the top 10 in fatigue and in opponent strength, which could make for an unwelcome start to J.J. McCarthy’s career. While the Europe trip is a doozy, the Vikings play four games with a rest disadvantage – fourth-most in the league – and they’re one of just four teams to play an entire month without a home game at any point.”
Vikings Turn Troubling 2-Game Stint Into Advantage
While the notion that the NFL had it out for the Vikings by scheduling two consecutive international games will be commonly held in the fan base, the Vikings actually wanted this scenario.
According to USA Today’s Nate Davis, several anonymous sources said the Vikings “sought the opportunity” to play in the league’s first regular-season game in Ireland, adding to an expected trip to London.
“The two-game trip gives us an unbelievable opportunity to take our team on the road, get away from a lot of the day-to-day things that may be pulling players in any other direction. It feels almost like a training camp,” O’Connell said in a May 12 news conference. “It feels almost like a trip to allow us to come together closer than ever, build our team camaraderie and culture even stronger, which has been such a strong asset to us over three years here.”
While the Vikings won’t have the comforts of practicing for two weeks in their home environment, the decision to take the games overseas proved shrewd in the long run, turning two tough road-game scenarios into neutral-site games.
“From a football side of it, both opponents that we’ll play have very high-quality home atmospheres in their home stadiums here in the United States. So to get to play them not at their home stadium – tough division, the AFC North tends to be year-in and year-out,” O’Connell said. “We found that to be a potential bonus for our football team, as well as getting the opportunity to have a trip together where we can continue to build our team, our camaraderie.”
J.J. McCarthy Has the Mental Edge Needed Vikings’ Grueling Schedule
Sportsbook Review’s analysis consulted Olympic sports psychologist Dr. Jason Scott Hamilton for the effects fatigue has on performance.
Hamilton pointed to how mental fatigue can be a cause for performance miscues that not only lead to mistakes on the field but also potentially injury and burnout for athletes.
“Fatigue isn’t just physical; its psychological dimensions are often the silent driver behind poor decision-making, inconsistent focus, and decreased mental resilience,” he told Sportsbook Review.
“The NFL schedule is relentless – physically punishing and mentally draining,” Hamilton added. “Constant travel, unpredictable sleep cycles, and the pressure to perform week after week create the perfect storm for chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout.”
McCarthy has been open about his battles with depression during the pandemic and adopted meditation as a means of calming his mind.
Coming off a nine-month recovery from meniscus surgery, McCarthy has already been tested mentally and seems well-equipped to handle the mental marathon of an NFL season.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
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