J.J. McCarthy's Sideline Speech Before Rally vs. Bears Discussed by Vikings Players

It took three quarters into his first NFL start for J.J. McCarthy to settle in, but he found his rhythm just in time to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Vikings players cited McCarthy's rallying speech after he threw a pick-six in the third quarter as the turning point for them.

Vikings right tackle Brian O'Neill said McCarthy's "conviction" while he was talking to the offense made them believe he was right"

"He believed that it was about to pop. There's a lot of times where you're like, 'Yeah, all right, cool. Let's go, whatever.' But the conviction in his voice and how he was walking up and down the sideline talking to everybody, little details about different plays, getting guys locked in in the huddle. It was really cool to see."

As the Vikings were rallying in the fourth quarter, running back Aaron Jones Sr. noted what McCarthy said in the huddle prior to the start of the drive that ended with a touchdown to give them the lead for the first time: "Is there any place you'd rather be?"

Head coach Kevin O'Connell didn't recall a verbal moment for McCarthy, but cited the "unbelievable look" in his young quarterback's eyes before the Vikings went on to score 21 points in the fourth quarter.

The first 45 minutes of the game was rough for McCarthy. He was 7-of-12 for 56 yards with no touchdowns and one interception through three quarters. Their nine offensive possessions ended with six punts, two field goals and a pick-six by Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright.

McCarthy completely flipped the script in the fourth quarter. He went 6-of-8 for 87 yards and two touchdowns passing, along with running for a 14-yard touchdown that put the Vikings up 27-17.

▶️ Full Vikings-Bears Recap

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There were a lot of questions about what Minnesota's offense would look like this season with McCarthy taking over for Sam Darnold. He missed his entire rookie season after suffering a torn meniscus in the preseason last year after being selected with the No. 10 overall pick.

It wasn't clear when the offseason started if the Vikings were fully bought in on McCarthy as their quarterback. They did flirt with the idea of bringing in Aaron Rodgers as a free agent before opting to stick with the 22-year-old.

The early results were ugly, but McCarthy rewarded Minnesota's faith by stepping up under pressure late in the game on the road against a division rival. He has a long way to go before reaching his full potential, but Monday night was a very encouraging sign for what he can become as he gains more experience.