Three Things We Learned from Vikings vs. Bears on Monday Night Football
Two top-10 picks from the 2024 NFL Draft locked horns for the first time as the Minnesota Vikings exploded for three fourth-quarter touchdowns to overcome an 11-point deficit and defeat the host Chicago Bears, 27-24.
Down 17-6 entering the fourth quarter, McCarthy became the first player in NFL history to account for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut. The 22-year-old Vikings quarterback threw touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones Sr. and rushed for a 14-yard score with 2:53 to play in what ended up being the deciding TD.
McCarthy was worth the wait
McCarthy went 27-1 as a starter and won a national championship at Michigan, but with relatively pedestrian statistics, he was viewed as somewhat of a surprise when he became the fifth quarterback off the board with the No. 10 overall pick to the Vikings last year.
His rookie season was over before it started after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee in 2024. In his stead, Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, and Minnesota went 14-3 last year. But management, including coach Kevin O’Connell, believed in McCarthy so much that they let Darnold sign with the Seattle Seahawks.
He was far from perfect on MNF, completing just 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards. He threw a bad interception that was returned 74 yards for a touchdown by Nahshon Wright early in the third quarter. But McCarthy led the Vikings on three straight scoring drives in the fourth quarter to seal his first pro win. There’s plenty to build on there.
Caleb Williams is Chicago’s long-term answer at QB
Quarterbacks selected high in the draft are often considered busts nowadays if they don’t produce immediately. Williams is a perfect example. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick started all 17 games as a rookie and threw for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns. He did this for a franchise that has historically had production issues under center while behind an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked 68 times.
And yet there are major questions about Williams entering his second year. He now pilots new coach and offensive guru Ben Johnson’s offence, and started perfectly last night, going 6/6 for 51 yards and rushing for a nine-yard touchdown on the Bears’ opening drive. Williams completed his first 10 passes and was 13 for 16 for 112 yards in the first half.
He struggled in the second half, going 8/19 for 99 yards while being off target on 47% of his dropback passes. Yes, there’s work still to be done. But there’s also plenty there to suggest Williams needs to be the Bears’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Kickers made the difference
In a three-point game, one play or drive may define the outcome, but it’s certainly not the only part of the game that affects the final score. This happened last night with two key plays involving field goal attempts that went both ways.
The Vikings’ Will Reichard nailed a 59-yarder with six seconds left in the first half to get Minnesota within 10-6. It was huge, not just because of the distance, but because the team got into range using just one 28-yard pass that used up 18 seconds on the clock.
Then, after a Bears drive stalled in Minnesota territory, Chicago kicker Cairo Santos missed a 50-yard field goal wide right to start the fourth quarter, three points that would have given Chicago a two-touchdown lead and put even more pressure on McCarthy.
