J.J. McCarthy Shocks Bears With Vikings’ Monday Night Comeback
What a wild way to kick off Monday Night Football. The Minnesota Vikings, led by rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, pulled off one of the most unexpected comebacks of the season so far, storming back to beat the Chicago Bears 27-24. For much of the night, it looked like the Bears were going to cruise to victory. Soldier Field was buzzing, the crowd was celebrating the glory days of the 1985 Super Bowl champs at halftime, and Chicago was firmly in control with a 17-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Even more deflating for Minnesota, McCarthy had already thrown a costly pick-six that pushed the Bears’ advantage to double digits.
But then everything flipped. McCarthy, who had struggled through his first three quarters of regular-season football, suddenly came alive. He connected with his star receivers, kept his poise under pressure, and completely turned the game around. In a span of just a few drives, he threw his first two NFL touchdown passes—one to Justin Jefferson and another to Aaron Jones—and then capped the rally with a gutsy 14-yard rushing touchdown that put the Vikings ahead for good. In all, McCarthy finished 13 of 20 passing for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, plus 25 rushing yards and that decisive score on the ground.
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What makes this story even more remarkable is McCarthy’s journey to this moment. Drafted 10th overall in 2024, he missed his entire rookie year after suffering a devastating knee injury in his very first preseason game. Monday night was his first true competitive football action in 609 days, dating back to Michigan’s national championship run. To go from that long recovery—months of rehab, film study, and waiting for a shot—to leading a fourth-quarter comeback in prime time is the kind of debut Hollywood would script.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t hold back when reflecting on what his quarterback accomplished. He said plainly that the Vikings would not have won without McCarthy’s second-half performance. What stood out most was not just the execution, but the belief he inspired in his teammates. O’Connell recalled telling him at halftime that he would be the one to lead the comeback, and the rookie’s response convinced the entire sideline to rally behind him.
Of course, the Bears played their part in this collapse. Caleb Williams, their young quarterback, put together a strong outing himself—210 yards and a touchdown through the air, plus 58 rushing yards and another score—but Chicago’s defense couldn’t stop the bleeding once momentum swung. After holding Minnesota in check for three quarters, the unit gave up 21 unanswered points, an NFL first in that exact fashion during a fourth quarter.
So what does this mean going forward? For McCarthy, it’s a proof of possibility. His coach said it best: now the Vikings know it’s possible. One game won’t define a season, but this comeback will be remembered as the night a rookie quarterback showed he could carry the weight of a franchise when everything seemed lost.
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