McCarthy’s Second-Half Surge Lifts Vikings Over Bears in Dramatic Debut

CHICAGO, IL — J.J. McCarthy’s long-awaited NFL debut nearly turned into a disaster. But when the pressure peaked, the Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback delivered a performance to remember.

After three sluggish quarters, McCarthy came alive in the fourth—throwing two touchdown passes and running for another—to lead the Vikings to a thrilling 27-24 comeback win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

“I told him at halftime, ‘You’re going to bring us back to win this game,’” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And he did exactly that.”

It was McCarthy’s first real game action since leading Michigan to the national championship in early 2024. Drafted 10th overall, he missed last season due to a knee injury. Now, the Vikings are placing their hopes squarely on his shoulders—and he’s already rewarding their faith.

A Poised Comeback

Things looked bleak when Chicago’s Nahshon Wright intercepted McCarthy and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bears up 17-6 in the third quarter. But McCarthy shook it off and took control in the final frame.

He first found Justin Jefferson for a 13-yard touchdown (though the two-point attempt failed), then hit Aaron Jones on a 27-yard scoring strike just minutes later. A successful conversion to Adam Thielen gave Minnesota a 20-17 lead with under 10 minutes left.

McCarthy capped his night with a gutsy 14-yard touchdown run, faking a handoff and sprinting around the right edge to extend the lead to 27-17. The Bears responded with a late touchdown—Caleb Williams’ 1-yard pass to Rome Odunze—but the Vikings held on for the win.

“We don’t win this game unless J.J. plays the way he did in the second half,” O’Connell said. “He kept the belief of the team behind him. Now we know what’s possible.”

McCarthy finished 13 of 20 for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed for 29 yards and a score in front of a hometown crowd—he grew up in the Chicago area and attended his first NFL game at Soldier Field 18 years ago.

Jefferson and Jones each tallied 44 receiving yards, while kicker Will Reichard hit two field goals, including a 59-yarder that tied the Soldier Field record.

Bears Show Flashes, But Fall Short

Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams—last year’s No. 1 overall pick—completed 21 of 35 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. He also scored his first career rushing TD, a 9-yard scamper in the first quarter.

Still, Williams admitted the offense didn’t execute well enough.

“It’s not a play-call thing,” he said. “It’s about execution. That’s something we pride ourselves on, and today we didn’t do it.”

New head coach Ben Johnson saw his team commit 12 penalties for 127 yards.

“We made too many mistakes late,” Johnson said. “Myself included. A lot of guys could’ve done better.”

Injury Report

• Vikings: LB Blake Cashman exited with a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI. CB Jeff Okudah is being evaluated for a concussion. S Harrison Smith (illness) did not travel, and OT Christian Darrisaw (recovering from ACL surgery) was inactive.
• Bears: Played without three key defenders: CB Jaylon Johnson (groin), CB Kyler Gordon (hamstring), and LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring).

What’s Next

• Vikings: Host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
• Bears: Travel to Detroit to face the defending NFC North champion Lions.