Vikings Fall To Bears on Walk-Off Field Goal, 19-17
J.J. McCarthy had Justin Jefferson open along the sideline on a crucial third-down play — the kind the Minnesota Vikings desperately needed to spark a stalled offense and chip away at a 10-point deficit in the third quarter.
Instead, McCarthy’s pass sailed so high that Jefferson didn’t even bother jumping for it.
The rookie quarterback immediately pressed his palms to the top of his helmet, recognizing he’d squandered another chance — one of many misfires in an uneven afternoon.
And even though McCarthy later hit Jordan Addison for a go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds left, the Vikings’ special teams suffered a sudden lapse after an otherwise solid day, handing the Chicago Bears the opening they needed to escape with a 19–17 win on Sunday.
For all the poise McCarthy showed on that final drive — five straight completions for 55 yards after the two-minute warning — his full body of work in just his fifth NFL start left Minnesota wondering whether this season can be anything more than a developmental year for the 2024 No. 10 overall pick.
“I felt extremely prepared. I felt dialed in physically,” said McCarthy, who finished 16 of 32 for 150 yards with two more interceptions. “It’s just something I need to figure out — how to keep it rolling for a full 60 minutes.”
The earlier miss to Jefferson came on third-and-7, a play already compromised when tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill false-started after hearing the snap count differently than the rest of the offense. It was the Vikings’ only false start of the game after committing eight the week before, but it was enough to visibly irritate coach Kevin O’Connell following a week dedicated to fixing communication issues.
A third-down sack by Andrew Van Ginkel and a 42-yard punt return by Myles Price briefly energized the Vikings, setting up a quick touchdown run by Jordan Mason that cut the lead to 16–10 early in the fourth quarter. After another defensive stop, McCarthy engineered the go-ahead drive that momentarily swung momentum.
“It felt like we were one or two pitch-and-catch plays away from changing the dynamic of the game,” O’Connell said. “We’ve got to stay the course, coach our principles, and keep paving the path for improvement. It starts with the passing game and making it as quarterback-friendly as we can.”
But the broader offensive picture remains troubling. This was Minnesota’s fourth game in just 10 outings without reaching 20 points — something that happened only twice last season. They’ve scored 23 or more points just twice this year after doing so 13 times last year.
McCarthy had bright moments — and multiple drops from Addison and others didn’t help — but the misses stood out: overthrows, underthrows, off-target passes, and two interceptions on back-to-back second-quarter possessions. He also dealt with residual soreness after hitting his hand on a teammate’s helmet last week, but refused to use it as an excuse.
“No excuses. Not an issue,” McCarthy insisted.
Later in the third quarter, he fired another high, hard pass to Jefferson over the middle on third down — a ball Jefferson could get a hand on but not secure. Frustrated, Jefferson nearly slammed his helmet before reining in his emotions.
“The frustrations are there. It’s part of football,” Jefferson said. “It’s part of growing. We’ve just got to do better all around.”
After that miss, boos poured down from fans fed up with an offense that has underperformed all season. The Vikings are now 1–4 at home after going 6–1 at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2023.
“We’ve got the greatest fans in the world, and they expect more — rightfully so,” McCarthy said, his voice rising. “It’s a reminder we better get going. We’ve got to figure this out. We don’t have many games left, and the urgency is at an all-time high.”
