The Minnesota Vikings discovered loads about QB J.J. McCarthy on Monday evening. Hopefully, the Chicago Bears didn’t discover out one thing about Caleb Williams.
McCarthy didn’t have to be good for 4 quarters in his first NFL start. He simply had to be good for the fourth quarter. The Vikings trailed by 11 factors by the third quarter, with McCarthy throwing a foul decide 6. But McCarthy, in his first start, didn’t back down. He threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns whereas Williams couldn’t get the Bears’ offense going in the second half, and Minnesota got here back to pull off an enormous 27-24 win in Chicago. It was a formidable rebound for McCarthy after a depressing start. McCarthy completed 13 of 20 for 143 yards, and loads of his manufacturing got here in the fourth quarter.
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The approach the sport began, it appeared like Williams could be the quarterback we’d all be speaking about afterward. He accomplished his first 10 passes and appeared fairly good in his first start beneath new coach Ben Johnson. The Bears appeared like they have been on their approach to a straightforward win when main 17-6 after three quarters. That modified quick. Williams did rally the Bears for a landing drive, scoring with 2:02 left, however it wasn’t sufficient.
Everyone will nonetheless be speaking about Williams this week. It’s not going to be an excellent dialog in Chicago.
Pair of QBs from 2024 draft sq. off
There’s a motive the NFL had the Vikings and Bears play on Monday evening in Week 1, and it wasn’t simply the rivalry. It was an opportunity to showcase two of the extra intriguing quarterbacks in the NFL.
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There was thriller over how Williams, the primary decide of final 12 months’s NFL Draft, would look in Johnson’s offense, and the way McCarthy would play after a misplaced season due to harm. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to a knee harm, however the Vikings nonetheless determined to transfer on from Sam Darnold after a 14-3 season and provides McCarthy, final 12 months’s tenth total decide, the beginning job.
For many of the first half on Monday evening Williams appeared just like the participant with an additional 12 months of expertise and the higher draft pedigree. He accomplished his first 10 passes. He additionally ran for a landing. Meanwhile, McCarthy had simply 48 passing yards in the primary half, although 28 of these yards got here on his ultimate throw and arrange a discipline purpose in the ultimate seconds earlier than halftime.
Early in the third quarter, McCarthy threw a foul decide 6 to Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright. At that time, given how McCarthy had performed, it appeared the sport was over. The Bears’ offense simply had to lean on the Vikings to put the sport away. But Chicago couldn’t transfer the ball.
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Vikings come back to take lead
The theme of the evening, when the Bears took a 17-6 lead on the decide 6, appeared like it could be McCarthy’s huge struggles in his first start. McCarthy’s poor play for 3 quarters took focus off of Williams’ struggles on the opposite aspect.
After a great start, Williams went chilly. As the Bears bought just one discipline purpose in a stretch of eight offensive possessions, McCarthy began to settle in. He hit Justin Jefferson for a 13-yard landing. Then, after a questionable cross interference name stored Minnesota’s drive alive, McCarthy threw deep to Aaron Jones and hit the operating back for a 27-yard rating. Suddenly the choice to flip the QB job over to McCarthy appeared loads smarter. The Vikings led 20-17.
After Minnesota took the lead, Williams couldn’t transfer the Bears but once more, main to Chicago’s sixth punt. Minnesota continued to transfer the ball and on third-and-1, McCarthy stored it himself on a designed run and took it round proper deal with for a 14-yard landing. Kevin O’Connell ran down the sideline and ESPN’s cameras confirmed him shouting in celebration after the rating. There was good motive for it. McCarthy had each motive to shrink in the second, particularly after the decide 6. Instead, he rallied to account for 3 touchdowns and the win. That’s precisely what O’Connell and the Vikings have been on the lookout for once they selected McCarthy to lead them ahead.
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As for Chicago, it’s approach too early to be overly involved about Williams. Johnson’s scheme is sophisticated and it’d take some time for Williams to get comfy. But the primary recreation of this season introduced up many extra questions than solutions for the Bears.