MINNEAPOLIS -- There were no fourth-quarter heroics Sunday night for J.J. McCarthy . Instead, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback and the rest of his team's offense slogged through 60 mostly rough minutes in a 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons .

McCarthy's performance clarified a few facts about the Vikings, who entered the season with hopes of a deep playoff run. Most notably, players and coaches said afterward, the play around McCarthy needs to be much better.

"This is going to be a process for our team," coach Kevin O'Connell said. "Our young quarterback is going to make some plays. He's going to make some unbelievable throws. ... And then, other times, he's going to have an attempt and just miss something a little long, and we will go back and try to fix it. Sometimes, the fun

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