The Minnesota Vikings learned a lot about QB J.J. McCarthy on Monday night. Hopefully, the Chicago Bears didn’t find out something about Caleb Williams.
McCarthy didn’t have to be good for four quarters in his first NFL start. He just had to be good for the fourth quarter. The Vikings trailed by 11 points through the third quarter, with McCarthy throwing a bad pick 6. But McCarthy, in his first start, didn’t back down. He threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns while Williams couldn’t get the Bears’ offense going in the second half, and Minnesota came back to pull off a huge 27-24 win in Chicago. It was an impressive rebound for McCarthy after a miserable start. McCarthy finished 13 of 20 for 143 yards, and plenty of his production came in the fourth quarter.
The way the game started, it seemed like Williams would be the quarterback we’d all be talking about afterward. He completed his first 10 passes and looked pretty good in his first start under new coach Ben Johnson. The Bears looked like they were on their way to an easy win when leading 17-6 after three quarters. That changed fast. Williams did rally the Bears for a touchdown drive, scoring with 2:02 left, but it wasn’t enough.
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Everyone will still be talking about Williams this week. It’s not going to be a great conversation in Chicago.
Pair of QBs from 2024 draft square off
There’s a reason the NFL had the Vikings and Bears play on Monday night in Week 1, and it wasn’t just the rivalry. It was a chance to showcase two of the more intriguing quarterbacks in the NFL.
There was mystery over how Williams, the first pick of last year’s NFL Draft, would look in Johnson’s offense, and how McCarthy would play after a lost season due to injury. McCarthy missed his whole rookie season due to a knee injury, but the Vikings still decided to move on from Sam Darnold after a 14-3 season and give McCarthy, last year’s 10th overall pick, the starting job.
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For most of the first half on Monday night Williams looked like the player with an extra year of experience and the better draft pedigree. He completed his first 10 passes. He also ran for a touchdown. Meanwhile, McCarthy had just 48 passing yards in the first half, though 28 of those yards came on his final throw and set up a field goal in the final seconds before halftime.
Early in the third quarter, McCarthy threw a bad pick 6 to Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright. At that point, given how McCarthy had played, it seemed the game was over. The Bears’ offense just had to lean on the Vikings to put the game away. But Chicago couldn’t move the ball.
Vikings come back to take lead
The theme of the night, when the Bears took a 17-6 lead on the pick 6, seemed like it would be McCarthy’s enormous struggles in his first start. McCarthy’s poor play for three quarters took focus off of Williams’ struggles on the other side.
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After a good start, Williams went cold. As the Bears got only one field goal in a stretch of eight offensive possessions, McCarthy started to settle in. He hit Justin Jefferson for a 13-yard touchdown. Then, after a questionable pass interference call kept Minnesota’s drive alive, McCarthy threw deep to Aaron Jones and hit the running back for a 27-yard score. Suddenly the decision to turn the QB job over to McCarthy seemed a lot smarter. The Vikings led 20-17.
After Minnesota took the lead, Williams couldn’t move the Bears yet again, leading to Chicago’s sixth punt. Minnesota continued to move the ball and on third-and-1, McCarthy kept it himself on a designed run and took it around right tackle for a 14-yard touchdown. Kevin O’Connell ran down the sideline and ESPN’s cameras showed him shouting in celebration after the score. There was good reason for it. McCarthy had every reason to shrink in the moment, especially after the pick 6. Instead, he rallied to account for three touchdowns and the win. That’s exactly what O’Connell and the Vikings were looking for when they chose McCarthy to lead them forward.
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As for Chicago, it’s way too early to be overly concerned about Williams. Johnson’s scheme is complicated and it might take a while for Williams to get comfortable. But the first game of this season brought up many more questions than answers for the Bears.
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