JJ McCarthy Sparks Late Rally As Minnesota Vikings Edge Chicago Bears In NFL Opener

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 10:06 IST

JJ McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns and scored the winning touchdown on a run.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) is sacked by Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon during the second half. (AP Photo)

Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy made a victorious NFL debut in his hometown by leading the Vikings to a 27-24 comeback win over the Chicago Bears on Monday, in the NFL season opener for both teams. After throwing an interception that was returned 74 yards for a Chicago touchdown, giving the hosts a 17-6 lead, 22-year-old McCarthy sparked a Minnesota comeback with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

“It’s surreal," McCarthy said. “Your first NFL win and I just can’t be more proud of the guys.

“I was really proud of how we responded because there’s going to be a lot of gritty games in the future."

McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns and scored the winning touchdown on a run.

“Getting the win, that’s what I’ll remember most," he said. “Being in the hometown, it’s a dream come true and to all the kids out there it’s possible. I just love my guys and can’t wait to go to war next week."

McCarthy became the first quarterback to rally from more than 10 points down in the fourth quarter and win his NFL debut since Steve Young in 1985.

“It was game one. We have a lot of things to clean up. We were just figuring it out," said McCarthy. “It just came down to execution."

McCarthy was seen talking to blockers and receivers when not on the field in the final minutes, trying to inspire them.

“We’ve got to believe," McCarthy said he told teammates. “That’s one thing we can do is control the controllables. I believe in going out there and executing that next play. It’s just as simple as that. We’ve got a great group and everyone was on the same page with that."

McCarthy, who grew up a Bears fan in suburban Chicago, suffered a right knee injury in the 2024 pre-season opener and missed what would have been his rookie season, but he recovered and took over a Vikings team that went 14-3 in 2024.

For three quarters, the Bears dominated. Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams scored on a nine-yard touchdown run with 7:56 elapsed in the first quarter, completing all six passes for 51 yards in the 61-yard drive.

Williams started the game with a career-best 10-for-10 completions, the longest completion streak to start a Bears season since 1978.

Minnesota’s Will Reichard responded with a 31-yard field goal, Chicago’s Cairo Santos connected from 42 yards, but Reichard kicked a career-long 59-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in the second quarter to bring the Vikings within 10-6 at halftime.

McCarthy drove Minnesota deep into Bears territory but threw an interception to Chicago’s Nahshon Wright, a former Viking who returned it 74 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, extending the Bears’ lead to 17-6.

However, McCarthy revived the Vikings in the fourth quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson and a 27-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Jones, plus a two-point conversion pass to Adam Thielen, giving Minnesota a 20-17 lead with 9:46 remaining.

McCarthy added a 14-yard touchdown run around the right end, giving the Vikings a 27-17 lead with 2:53 remaining.

Williams responded with a one-yard touchdown pass to Rome Odunze, and Chicago closed the gap to the final margin with 2:02 remaining, but Minnesota ran out the clock.

The Bears have not had a winning season since 2018 and have not won a playoff game since the 2010 season.

With AFP Inputs

Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...Read More

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...

Read More

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

News sports JJ McCarthy Sparks Late Rally As Minnesota Vikings Edge Chicago Bears In NFL Opener

Read More