Vikes Beat the Bears with a Furious Late-Game Comeback
Vikings Territory Breakdown
The NFL is bananas. Josh Allen throws for more than 250 yards in the fourth quarter to lead his team back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Ravens on Sunday night. Well, move over Josh, because JJ McCarthy knows something about late game heroics.
The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up the first week of the 2025 NFL season on Monday night the road game in Chicago and they came away with a 27-24 victory after one of the most improbable comebacks in their history, which is saying something. Down by 11 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Vikings watched the Bears miss a field goal and the Purple comeback commenced. JJ McCarthy, the second-year quarterback in his first start in the NFL, came to life and became the first quarterback in NFL history to have three touchdowns in the fourth quarter in his debut (per ESPN). When he crossed the goal line with his own rushing score, the Vikings grabbed a 10-point lead and held on for the win.
The victory doesn’t happen, however, without the defense, which gave up a touchdown early and another one late, but provided the offense an opportunity to win the game. With big play after big play by Eric Wilson, Javon Hargrave, Josh Metellus and the rest of the defensive line, the team hung around long enough for McCarthy and the offense to become ignited.
To everybody watching, the Vikings looked dead in the water after the third quarter, but then momentum changed—and the Bears could not stem the tide. The Vikings defense gave up only 17 points on the road on Monday in Soldier Field (where weird things often take place).
And now J.J. McCarthy can grab the team, the offense and the fan base and become the leader Purple Nation is hoping he will become. Far from perfect (whether it was due to debut game jitters or not), McCarthy looks like he belongs. He finally got a taste of NFL action, and the work now begins to become an even better player in this league.
It was a big night for the QB and even bigger one for the team, and the co-hosts of Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are on hand to talk about it all. From the sleepy Vikings first half to the fans’ sleepless night due to victory celebration, we will break it all down. Tune in and check it out. Skol!
