Kelly, the 32-year-old, four-time Pro Bowl center lauded McCarthy’s cool, calm, collectedness.
“He was just the same guy he was in practice,” Kelly offered. “I mean, that’s always kind of the thing. Even being in Year 10, you still have to bring yourself down a little bit when it’s game day. It’s the same thing. It’s the practice field just in the game, right? I think the way he handled the huddle, handled all of our kills was incredible. I think he did a great job. Couldn’t be more proud of him. And he’s the first guy to congratulate us on not having any pressures, which was great, too. He just continues to amaze me.”
Minnesota was penalized for a hold on the opening kickoff and was pinned inside its 20, but McCarthy didn’t sweat the setback. He handed off to Jordan Mason once before completing his first attempt to Jordan Addison for a gain of 5 yards on a bootleg to his left. On his first “weighty” down of the day, the 22-year-old connected with Addison, again, for a pickup of 10 to his left side to convert a third-and-4.
Mason was featured frequently, carrying four times for 20 yards to soften the defense for McCarthy, who said he has “all the confidence in the world” in the bruising back whom Minnesota traded for in March.
The 2024 first-round pick’s two sharpest moments demonstrated his awareness, arm strength and ball placement. On a second-and-5 at Minnesota’s 33, and under duress, McCarthy spun a ball far across the field to Addison for an 18-yard chunk. It was low and outside, where only Addison was able to retrieve it.
