The Minnesota Vikings pulled off a stunning comeback win against the Chicago Bears on Monday. They rallied behind rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who outlasted Caleb Williams in one of the most thrilling fourth-quarter games in recent memory.
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It looked like a showcase game for Williams, who lifted the Bears into the lead with a dazzling drive. The Bears led 17-6 at halftime. However, the narrative quickly turned into McCarthy’s moment to shine. The Vikings exploded with 21 straight points in the fourth quarter, with McCarthy directly accounting for all but one of those scores.
Eventually, the Vikings won 24-27. So, how exactly did McCarthy flip the script in the final quarter of what had decidedly been a one-sided game up until that point? According to Troy Aikman, two factors made the difference.
Aikman highlighted McCarthy’s composure in the face of failure and the team’s decision to focus more on the running game as reasons for their victory.
“I think what happens—and J.J. McCarthy has been in some big games and he understands it… That it’s not always going to go in your favor,” Aikman said during the ESPN broadcast.
“He hung in there as you would hope that he would do. But still, Kevin O’Connell did a nice job. They got the running game going, they had some good fortune along the way, and the defense made some stops. It was a collective effort, but for the young quarterback to hang in there like he did—that was an impressive night,” he added.
Aikman’s comments came after McCarthy shook off a devastating pick-six that swung momentum toward Chicago. “The pick-six obviously was a devastating blow to their chances of winning this football game,” Aikman added.
“But when they got the running game going, you saw him start to at least slow down a little bit and then start delivering the football, getting the ball down the field to Justin Jefferson. And some of the throws that he was able to make… Of course, Darren Jones [was] there for the touchdown. But it was really not until the fourth quarter that I think he would tell you that he really got comfortable in the pocket,” explained Aikman.
After Cairo Santos came up short on a 50-yard field goal, momentum swung sharply to Minnesota’s favor. McCarthy quickly took charge, linking up with Justin Jefferson for a 17-yard gain before capping the drive with a 13-yard touchdown strike to the star receiver.
The Vikings gambled on a two-point try, but Jonathan Owens forced Josh Oliver out of bounds just before he could cross the line.
The Bears stumbled on their next possession, going three-and-out as Caleb Williams was brought down for a sack and nearly intercepted by Andrew Van Ginkel. McCarthy seized the moment, hitting Darren Jones on a 27-yard touchdown to complete another swift scoring drive.
This time, the two-point conversion was successful, with McCarthy finding Adam Thielen in the end zone to push Minnesota ahead 20-17.
Still riding the surge, the Vikings pressed on. A 10-yard completion to Jefferson set them up at Chicago’s 14-yard line. McCarthy finished it himself, darting through a lane opened by T.J. Hockenson for a rushing touchdown that sealed the comeback.
