Controversial playstyle used by Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy looks dangerous, but it’s designed with safety in mind

J.J. McCarthy chooses to dive forward instead of sliding, and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips explains that it’s intentional for safety.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) dives forward after scrambling out of the pocket in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) dives forward after scrambling out of the pocket in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

One of the difficult aspects about the Minnesota Vikings’ developing quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been the injuries.

In the first eight games that McCarthy played in the NFL, including preseason games, McCarthy suffered four confirmed injuries.

  • Torn meniscus
  • High ankle sprain
  • Injured throwing hand
  • Concussion

That’s brutal for the Vikings, especially since two of those injuries (high ankle sprain and concussion) came when McCarthy was in the open field. He has struggled mightily to protect himself when running the ball, but there is one thing the Vikings are doing to help him stay as safe as possible.

Wes Phillips explains why J.J. McCarthy dives instead of slides

One thing that McCarthy doesn’t do is slide, but rather dives forward. It’s a different strategy, and one that goes against conventional wisdom. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips talked about the strategy on Tuesday, shedding light on why he does it.

“I think each situation is a little bit different, and things happen really fast. If you have potentially more open grass, and you’re sliding down early, but what you see is a lot of late slides and guys getting hit, just kind of naturally,” said Phillips.

There is merit to what Phillips is saying. The late slides don’t give much time for the defense to think about what they are doing. Less time to react often ends up with late hits to the head.

“I think you know these quarterbacks are getting hit. I don’t think there’s intent there by guys, but these late slides, you end up naturally getting hit in the head and neck area, and that’s where you’re seeing some of these big shots that guys get fined for,” said Phillips. “But a lot of times, I don’t really blame some of the guys with how late some of these things happen.”

Everything Phillips says here is spot on. The question is simple: why hasn’t it happened sooner? Ahead of the 2018 season, the league changed the rules on quarterbacks giving themselves up, making the first point of contact with the ground being there the player is down and the ball is spotted.

“They’ve changed [the ball being spotted] where it’s not where you’re sliding into. So, J.J. [McCarthy] had one where he dives forward and he’s past the sticks there, and you got a fresh set of downs. And sometimes I think you can even avoid some of the hits and see out in front of you a little bit better,” said Phillips.

McCarthy diving forward instead of sliding gives him control with where he lands and helps prevent him from getting slammed in the head. That’s really important with his injury history, and hopefully, that manifests in less time missed for the Vikings’ starting quarterback.

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