Vikings - Bears

These one-score Minnesota Vikings games are going to trigger heart issues. The Minnesota Vikings rallied in the fourth quarter to stun the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, 27-24. 

For three quarters, the Minnesota Vikings offense wasn’t pretty. Not pretty at all. Fortunately, the Vikings defense kept the Chicago Bears within reach. At the lowest point, the Bears only held an 11-point lead. With more than a quarter to play, that’s nothing to this Vikings team. Unlike previous deficits during Kevin O’Connell’s time as the head coach, the Vikings this time were guided by a 22-year old quarterback making his NFL debut. 

“Is there any place you’d rather be?”

That’s the question McCarthy asked of this teammates in the huddle just before the Vikings offense started to roll. The Bears lead was about to be no more.

There’s no dodging the fact that J.J. McCarthy struggled early in his debut. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had the kid looking lost. The Vikings struggled pre-snap and McCarthy looked rushed and uncomfortable post-snap. A laser to Jalen Nailor set up a 59-yard field goal by Will Reichard just before the half. Now trailing only 10-6, that throw gave some hope for the second half. Some of those hopes were dashed when former Vikings corner Nahshon Wright returned an ill-advised McCarthy pass 74 yards for a pick-6. That bumped the Bears lead to 17-6 and set the stage for the Vikings fourth quarter comeback. 

Through three quarters, J.J. McCarthy had 67 yards passing. In the fourth quarter, he had 76 yards passing, two touchdowns, and ran for a touchdown. The three fourth quarter touchdowns in his debut were historic:

Per ESPN research, Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is the first player in NFL history to account for 3 TDs in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut.

Also

Per NFL+, J.J. McCarthy is the first starting quarterback with a 10+ 4th quarter comeback in his NFL debut since Steve Young in 1985. 

While the Vikings young quarterback emerged as the hero of this comeback win. Quarterbacks always get the attention. It was the Vikings defense that made it possible. Bears second-year quarterback Caleb Williams willed his team down the field on their first possession for a breezy early touchdown. After that, the Vikings defense held the Bears offense to a single field goal until a late, desperate touchdown. Other than a couple second half bursts by D’Andre Swift, the Bears run game was shut down. The Vikings pass rush had Williams running for his life. Williams scrambles were the Bears offense for the bulk of the game. If that was Jared Goff in the pocket rather than Williams, the Vikings probably collect about eight sacks. Instead, they managed two. Most importantly, the Vikings defense kept the Bears offense out of the end zone while the Vikings offense found their way. 

For three quarters, an 0-1 start for the Vikings felt inevitable. Thankfully, the defense kept the game within reach. The quarterback that nearly all Vikings fans hope J.J. McCarthy becomes emerged in the fourth quarter. It was beautiful to see. Hopefully, it’s the first step towards something even more beautiful. For now, the Vikings are 1-0. Up next is Sunday night home date with the Atlanta Falcons.