Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had one of the most complete performances of his young NFL career on Sunday night in Week 15, helping the Vikings secure a dominating 34-26 road win over the Dallas Cowboys.
The 22-year-old not only bounced back from an early interception but also added a rushing touchdown that became one of the night’s most talked-about moments.
Skip Bayless Calls J.J. McCarthy a ‘Goofball’ After Cowboys Defeat
NFL analyst Skip Bayless did not hold back while reacting to McCarthy’s ‘Griddy’ touchdown celebration in Dallas. It was also adding salt to the wound of the Cowboys, who are essentially eliminated, with their postseason chances dropping from 12% to 1.20% per PFSN’s Playoff meter.
Bayless was reacting to the loss on his X account but took a special note of McCarthy’s goal-line bootleg in the second quarter — a play that completely fooled the Cowboys defense. He called it the moment in which both the game and season slipped away for Dallas.
“J.J. McCarthy taunted us on that, like from the half yard line, that play fake boot that he ran that just fooled the life out of us,” Bayless said. “That was the end of the season right there.”
“He goes trotting, grandstanding, showboating into the end zone, taunting us. I don’t know what he’s doing because he’s a goofball. J.J. McCarthy’s just a goofball,” Bayless added.
Bayless, though, was impressed by McCarthy’s fearlessness, which defines his style of play, even if it can be volatile at times. “He comes and he goes. He’s fearless. He’ll try anything.”
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McCarthy’s rushing touchdown came off a deceptive goal-line play fake that left the quarterback alone with a clear path to the end zone. Rather than simply finishing the play, the 22-year-old broke into a “Griddy” as a tribute to star receiver Justin Jefferson, despite later admitting he’d been told not to celebrate.
“I did it in practice, and I was told not to do it,” McCarthy said postgame. “So just me being who I am, it’s like, ‘Oh, now I’m more enticed to do it.'”
Vikings Offense Impresses in Dallas Despite Poor 2025 Season
The Vikings, though, had already been eliminated from postseason contention ahead of the Sunday night matchup, making the game more about evaluation than playoff stakes. Still, it was McCarthy’s best performance of the season after an up-and-down campaign that has seen him throw 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions — the third-most interceptions in the league.
The former No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft currently ranks 41st among qualified quarterbacks in PFSN’s QB Impact rankings, posting a 57.2 score and receiving an ‘F’ grade. Only Cam Ward, Dillon Gabriel, and Jake Browning have a worse rating in 2025.
Week 15 was different, though. After throwing an interception on his first pass attempt, McCarthy responded with a career-high 250 passing yards, two touchdown throws, and a rushing score. He completed 62.5% of his passes and appeared noticeably more comfortable operating the Vikings’ offense, which is again bottom-six in the league in PFSN’s Offense Impact rankings.
Over his last two games, however, McCarthy has helped the Vikings average more than 30 points per game. Whether critics label him fearless or a “goofball,” the young quarterback ensured his antics on the night in Dallas didn’t go unnoticed.
