After riding the roller coaster with quarterback J.J. McCarthy throughout training camp, everybody on the Vikings knew that joint practice with the New England Patriots would reveal how much progress he has made to this point.

You couldn’t have scripted it much better with how well McCarthy played on Thursday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. It was exactly what the Vikings were looking for out of their face of the franchise.

“The offense was humming as a whole,” McCarthy said. “The physicality up front set the tone, and we were able to execute.”

Though he credited his teammates for their efforts, and rightfully so, McCarthy was the straw that stirred the drink for the Vikings in their dissection of New England. He was clear in the huddle, authoritative at the line of scrimmage and p

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