Over his first three quarters of NFL football, J.J. McCarthy looked every bit like a debuting quarterback in over his head.
Just getting plays in and going through pre-snap operations seemed to be a struggle as the Minnesota Vikings offense sputtered to six points, five first downs and 85 yards. Most dreadful was an interception returned 74 yards for a touchdown by Nahshon Wright that put the Chicago Bears ahead by 11 in the third quarter.
Then McCarthy turned all the ugliness into a quarter of brilliance, flexing his strong arm and winning might as he conjured up his first three NFL touchdowns on consecutive drives to propel the Vikings to a riveting 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
"There's no way to deny, we don't win this game unless J.J. plays the way he did in the second half," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "Most importantly, he kept the belief of his football team behind him. Now, we know it's possible."
McCarthy's first two NFL touchdowns passes and his first career rushing score -- a 14-yard game-winner -- all came in the fourth quarter, as Minnesota emerged from a 17-6 deficit. All told, McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for two TDs -- one to Justin Jefferson and another to Aaron Jones -- and 143 yards with the one interception.
"I told him at halftime, 'You are going to bring us back to win this game,' and the look in his eye was fantastic," O'Connell said. "The best thing is just the belief I felt from the team and unit. Ultimately, that doesn't get done without him in the second half -- two passing touchdowns and the critical rushing touchdown at the end."
Selected 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy missed all of his rookie campaign after tearing up his knee in his preseason debut. Thusly, the Michigan product was playing in an official game for the first time since leading the Wolverines to a national championship.
"It's been a long journey," McCarthy said. "I think it's been 609 days, I think I saw since my last competitive football game, which was the national championship. So, it's been a while of being just in the training room, watching a lot of film, learning the playbook and trying to master that. At the end of the day, it's such a blessing to be an NFL football player and play in this league."
In the end, McCarthy showcased all the promise behind the Vikings anointing him their franchise QB of the future, but it was a roller coaster to get there.
McCarthy and the Vikings offense was awful through most of three quarters.
Playing opposite 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, McCarthy and Co. went three-and-out on the first drive of their season.
Williams and Chicago responded with a 61-yard drive capped by the quarterback running it in from 9 yards out.
Minnesota's biggest play of the opening half was a 42-yard defensive pass interference call against Wright that set up a 31-yard Will Reichard field goal. Reichard added a 59-yard make just before halftime that was set up by a McCarthy 28-yard completion to Jalen Nailor. McCarthy credited the throw for buoying his confidence, but by all accounts, the Vikings were fortunate to trail just 10-6 at halftime, having been outgained, 172-80.
Still, McCarthy was undaunted at intermission as noted by O'Connell mentioning the fantastic gleam in his QB's eye.
Regardless of the big throw to Nailor and the intangibles put on display, McCarthy's biggest gaffe was still to come.
McCarthy's first NFL touchdown went the wrong way when he was picked by Wright, who took the INT 74 yards and propelled the Bears to a 17-6 advantage with 12:51 to go in the third quarter.
While most viewers likely believed that was the end for McCarthy and Minnesota on Monday night, it was only the beginning of the 22-year-old's fantastic first NFL tale.
"Just feeding off the energy from my teammates and my coaches helped me out tremendously," McCarthy said of how he moved past the turnover. "At the end of the day, we are so blessed to be able to play this game, so every snap we get is a complete blessing. That was something I mentioned to the guys in the huddle when we were down, 'Where else would you rather be?' So, I feel like we did a great job and this team showed a lot of poise and responded very well."
After a missed Bears field goal left the door of improbability ajar, McCarthy kicked it wide open.
Led by a Jordan Mason rushing attack, McCarthy found Jefferson twice, first on a 17-yard hookup and then with a dart over the middle for a 13-yard score -- the first of what Skol Nation is hoping will be many a J.J. to J.J. TD connection -- with 12:13 to play.
With the Bears' lead now a precarious 17-12 advantage, Williams and the Chicago offense went three-and-out.
McCarthy, looking far removed from the deer in prime-time lights of the first three quarters, hit Jones for a 27-yard go-ahead score on a deep loft down the right sideline. He followed it with a two-point conversion to Adam Thielen that put Minnesota ahead, 20-17, with 9:46 to play.
Not done seizing the Monday moment, McCarthy scored on a third straight drive when he capped a nine-play, 68-yard drive with an all-out sprint to the end zone on a read option, burrowing in for what would stand as the game-winner.
"It was the perfect play call," McCarthy said.
The scoring blitz and rally for the ages awoke Williams and the Bears enough to make it a three-point game after an 8-yard Rome Odunze touchdown catch.
This was McCarthy's night, though.
His first game, his first interception, his first touchdowns and his first amazing comeback story.
Not since the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton in 2011, had a player recorded multiple passing touchdowns and a rushing TD in his NFL debut, per NFL Research. McCarthy did that in a span of 13 minutes.
Not since Steve Young with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1985 had a starting QB rallied his team back from a 10-plus-point deficit in the fourth quarter during his NFL debut, according to NFL Research. McCarthy did it on the road -- the only such QB since 1950.
There's plenty of season -- and career -- left for McCarthy, but this was one phenomenal first impression.
"Proud of the group, but J.J. especially," O'Connell said. "Heckuva growth moment for him and one that I had total belief in him that we were gonna figure it out together."
