“Vegas in on that one” “Terrible call”: NFL fans slam referees' rushing the passer call on J.J. McCarthy

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy returned to the lineup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. McCarthy was sidelined due to an ankle injury in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons.

In his first start on his return from the injury, McCarthy was on the receiving end of a sack from Lions linebacker Jack Campbell in the second quarter. While McCarthy's pass was caught by tight end T.J. Hockenson, the referee called a roughing the passer penalty on the Vikings quarterback.

NFL fans reacted to the controversial call on social media.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

"Terrible call." "That’s horrible. Vegas in on that one!!" "Might as well put flags on the QB's if they're gonna call this sack roughing the passer." "I sit here and watch every other team get these calls every year and qb never gets it." "This is not a bad call. It’s a terrible rule and I don’t agree with it, but it is the rule and the correct call."

McCarthy looked solid on his return to action after five weeks on the sidelines as the Vikings quarterback completed five of his seven passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown passes were caught by Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, while Will Reichard scored a 50-yard field goal to give Minnesota an unlikely 17-14 lead at halftime.

J.J. under "pressure" at Minnesota after rough start to NFL career, claims Adam Schefter

The Vikings have stuck with J.J. McCarthy, who has shown promise, but has not been able to deliver on the promise because of his injury struggles. He missed his entire rookie season last year due to a torn right meniscus and is making just his third career start on Sunday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter said there is pressure on the young quarterback to perform, especially with fellow picks from the 2024 NFL draft shining for other teams.

"There’s a lot of pressure," Schefter said. "We’ve already seen what some of the quarterbacks in that draft class are doing. Look at Drake Maye. Look at Bo Nix. Look at Caleb Williams. Look at Jayden Daniels. Minnesota’s waiting on JJ McCarthy,” said the analyst."

Apart from the pressure to perform, McCarthy will also feel pressure to keep himself fit with backup quarterback Carson Wentz out for the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash