J.J. McCarthy is still just 22 years old with hardly any experience as an NFL quarterback. But he certainly didnât look it Monday night in Chicago.
McCarthy engineered a thrilling comeback in his first NFL start, impressing teammates with his poise and maturity under pressure as he accounted for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the Vikingsâ 27-24 win over the rival Bears.
âHeâs different up here,â Vikings running back Aaron Jones said postgame, pointing to his head. âItâs just his mentality. ⦠Heâs a special guy. Iâm blessed to have him here.â
The 2024 first-round pick â who missed his entire rookie season with a meniscus tear in his right knee â finished 13-of-20 for 143 yards through the air to go with 25 yards rushing.
McCarthy Showed His Resolve in 4th Quarter
McCarthy showed his moxie in the second half, shaking off a 74-yard pick six by Nashon Wright that put Chicago up 17-6 early in the third quarter.
Sometime after that, McCarthy offered a message that stuck with Jones.
“J.J. runs into the huddle â I think it was after one of the TV timeouts or something â he looks at us and heâs like, âIs there anyplace else you guys would rather be?ââ Jones recalled. âWeâre all like, âWow.â ⦠Having that sense to motivate us in that way, it was special.â
McCarthy was nearly flawless in the fourth quarter, completing 6-of-8 passes for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 27-yard strike to Jones that gave Minnesota a 20-17 lead with 9:46 left.
On the next possession, McCarthy added a touchdown of his own, scoring on a 14-yard run to make it 27-17.
As impressive as McCarthyâs performance was, nothing about it seemed to surprise his peers.
âI told him at halftime: âYou are going to bring us back to win this game, and the look in his eye was fantastic,â head coach Kevin OâConnell said. âAnd the best thing was just the belief I felt from that team, and ultimately, that doesnât get done without him in the second half.â
McCarthy Makes History in Ushering Comeback
McCarthy joined rare company in leading the Vikings back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut. Per ESPN, the last quarterback to do so was Steve Young in 1985. Since 1950, McCarthy is the only such quarterback to do so on the road.
McCarthy also became the first player, period, to account for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut.
McCarthyâs ability to win, no matter the circumstances, continues to be evident. Since McCarthyâs sophomore year of high school, his record as a starting quarterback is an incredible 63-4. That, of course, includes a national championship to cap his final season at Michigan.
Said star receiver Justin Jefferson: âWe knew he had that dog in him.â
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