J.J. McCarthy rallies Vikings to 27-24 comeback win in first NFL start at Chicago
McCarthy throws two TDs and runs for the go-ahead score, rallying Minnesota with 21 fourth-quarter points at Soldier Field
J.J. McCarthy led the Minnesota Vikings to a 27-24 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears in his first NFL start Monday night, engineering a 21-point fourth quarter to overcome an early deficit at Soldier Field.
Down 17-6 entering the fourth quarter, McCarthy directed three scoring drives in the period, finding Justin Jefferson for a touchdown, connecting on a deep ball to running back Aaron Jones after a defensive pass-interference call, and finishing a nine-play march with a 14-yard touchdown run of his own to put the Vikings ahead with 2:53 remaining. The win marked Minnesota’s road opener for the 2025 season and capped a dramatic late turnaround.
McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The rookie quarterback — who missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a meniscus injury in preseason — entered training camp as the presumptive starter in Kevin O’Connell’s offense after Sam Darnold guided Minnesota to a 14-3 mark in McCarthy’s absence last year.
The Bears, led by second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and new coach Ben Johnson, scored on the opening drive and built a 17-6 lead through three quarters. Chicago’s other touchdown came on a third-quarter interception return after McCarthy’s pass was picked off and returned for a score. Williams finished 21 of 35 for 211 yards with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, and he led the team with 58 rushing yards on six carries.
Chicago’s offense began brightly but sputtered after the early touchdown. The Bears managed only a second-quarter field goal before kicker Cairo Santos missed another attempt in the fourth quarter. D.J. Moore had 70 receiving yards on three catches, and running back D’Andre Swift gained 53 yards on 17 touches.
McCarthy’s fourth-quarter sequence began with a six-play drive that culminated in a precise throw to Justin Jefferson in the front of the end zone for Jefferson’s first score of the season. The Vikings defense then forced a three-and-out, giving McCarthy another opportunity. After Minnesota received a defensive pass-interference call, McCarthy uncorked a deep pass to Aaron Jones for the go-ahead touchdown and the Vikings converted a two-point attempt to take a 20-17 lead.
The decisive score came late in the fourth. Facing third-and-1 from the Chicago 14, McCarthy kept the ball on a read-option and powered into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown that extended the margin to 27-17. Chicago answered with a one-yard touchdown run by Rome Odunze with two minutes left to make it a three-point game, but the Bears could not complete the comeback after forcing a final three-and-out.
Minnesota’s ground game featured Jordan Mason with a team-high 15 carries for 68 yards. Aaron Jones had eight carries for 23 yards and was tied with Jefferson for team-high receiving yards at 44 apiece. The Vikings’ balanced attack and a stout fourth-quarter defensive effort overcame the pressure Chicago’s new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen applied early.
McCarthy’s lone turnover, the third-quarter interception returned for a touchdown, had appeared to derail his debut. Instead, he steadied Minnesota in the final period and produced the plays that won the game. The comeback underscored the Vikings’ decision to hand the starting role to McCarthy this season following his rehabilitation and offseason work to assume the role full-time.
Chicago’s offense showed flashes, particularly early, but inconsistency and the missed field goal limited its scoring after the opening drive. The Bears’ defense forced a late three-and-out in an attempt to give Williams one more possession, but time expired before a final rally could be mounted.
The Vikings travel next in the schedule as they build continuity with McCarthy under center, while the Bears will look to address red-zone efficiency and special-teams execution following a narrow loss at home. The result provides Minnesota a 1-0 start to the 2025 regular season and gives McCarthy a winning mark in his first career start.