A rookie debut that turned when it mattered
Down 10 in the fourth and fresh off a lost rookie year, J.J. McCarthy turned a rough first impression into a statement win. The Minnesota Vikings’ 10th overall pick led a 27–24 comeback over the Chicago Bears on Monday night, delivering two touchdown throws and a rushing score in the final quarter to cap a debut that started ugly and ended electric.
This was McCarthy’s first real game action since Michigan beat Washington for the national title at the end of the 2023 season. He missed his entire first NFL year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the 2024 preseason opener. The wait—13 months of rehab, meetings, mental reps—showed early. The game sped up on him. His timing drifted. Chicago disguised coverages and sent heat, and the ball didn’t come out on time. Minnesota’s offense sputtered for most of three quarters.
At halftime, head coach Kevin O’Connell kept it simple: “You’re going to bring us back to win this game.” It wasn’t bluster. O’Connell has built an offense to help a young quarterback survive the chaos—motion, play-action, defined reads, and quick answers when the rush closes in. After the break, the Vikings leaned into that plan.
The fourth-quarter flip—and what it says about Minnesota
Early on, McCarthy looked like a passer trying to prove he belonged. In the fourth, he played like one who knew exactly what to do. Minnesota sped up the tempo, mixed in easy completions, and moved the pocket to clear his sightlines. That reset the rhythm. He ripped a red-zone throw for his first NFL touchdown, kept the ball later for a short rushing score, then found the end zone again on a late drive that put the Vikings ahead for good.
The other side of the ball did its part. Minnesota’s defense tightened just enough in the late stages, forcing Chicago into longer fields and tougher third downs. That gave McCarthy extra snaps and better starting position, which O’Connell used to stay aggressive instead of settling for field goals. The margin was thin, but the confidence was obvious on the sideline. Teammates stuck with their young quarterback even as the early throws wobbled.
So what changed after halftime? Three things stood out:
- Protection and timing stabilized. The ball came out faster, with defined first reads against pressure looks.
- Designed movement helped. Bootlegs and rollouts cut the field in half and kept Chicago’s rush from teeing off.
- The run threat reappeared. McCarthy’s keeper forced the Bears to honor the edge, opening windows for the quick game.
O’Connell praised his quarterback’s poise afterward, noting that belief ran both ways—the staff trusted the calls, and McCarthy trusted the plan. For a team that went 14–3 last season and watched Sam Darnold move on, the stakes were real. Minnesota didn’t need perfection from a second-year starter making his first appearance; it needed resolve. It got that in the last 15 minutes.
McCarthy’s arc Monday night also tracked with the long road back from a knee injury. Physically, he moved without hesitation—no flinch on slides, no panic when he had to climb and reset. Mentally, the real hurdle in a debut is handling the mess: a tipped ball, a missed read, a third-and-long you’re supposed to fail. The first three quarters brought all of that. The fourth brought answers.
Across the field, Chicago had its own firsts. Caleb Williams threw his first NFL touchdown and later punched in a rushing score. New head coach Ben Johnson’s offense showed flashes—pre-snap motion, quick-game rhythm, a couple of well-timed misdirection calls. For long stretches, the Bears controlled the pace and put the rookie in favorable down-and-distance. What they didn’t do late was finish drives. A couple of empty possessions in the fourth quarter left the door cracked, and McCarthy barreled through it.
There’s no overhyping one game in September, and this one had plenty of learning tape for Minnesota. McCarthy took hits he didn’t need. He held the ball too long at times. There were throws he’d want back. But the lasting snapshot is the huddle in the final minutes—calm cadence, clean operation, and a quarterback who found answers after three quarters full of questions.
For the Vikings, this is why you spend a top-10 pick and live with the growing pains. You bet on late-game command showing up even when early-game polish doesn’t. You trust the structure—play-caller, system, weapons, and a defense that can buy you one more possession. In a division where tight games swing seasons, that combination matters.
For the Bears, the night still offered optimism. Williams checked off milestones, handled the moment, and gave Johnson a clear list of what travels: the quick-trigger throws, the designed movement, and the legs that can bail out a play when protection leaks. Clean up situational execution, and Chicago’s rookie-and-rookie combo has something real to build on.
Back in Minnesota’s locker room, the tone fit the scoreboard. Relief, then resolve. One comeback doesn’t erase the rough start, and a highlight reel doesn’t hide the lumps. But it does set a baseline: when the pocket collapses and the script breaks, McCarthy can steady the room and finish. After a year on the shelf and three quarters under water, that’s a powerful first impression.