TV cameras zoomed in on J.J. McCarthy’s face for a closeup as he walked off the field. His helmet did nothing to hide the inferno taking place underneath.

His eyes could’ve stared directly into a person’s soul. His mouth was pursed into a snarl. He was a quarterback in job title but a heavyweight fighter looking for a knockout in appearance.

“That’s kind of how I roll,” he said.

Vikings players, coaches, fans and NFL observers all got a first glimpse of McCarthy’s blistering intensity as a game-day competitor in Monday’s 27-24 victory over the Bears in Chicago. His debut as a starting quarterback at age 22 revealed intangibles that cannot be measured by statistics or Pro Day metrics.

He showed resolve when things looked bleak. He didn’t get rattled by mistakes, including his pick-six interception that might have buckled the knees of young quarterbacks. He displayed fieriness reflective of someone who isn’t used to losing and had no intentions of losing that game.

Forget the historical stats that McCarthy recorded in the final quarter at Soldier Field to completely rewrite the narrative of his first NFL game. The best part — other than the win, of course — was the demeanor that a young quarterback exhibited in a performance that turned from dud to dynamic in a blink.

“Game day, when the lights are shining,” Justin Jefferson said, “he knows how to have that ‘dog’ mentality.”

Competitors earn that form of flattery by how they perform when things aren’t operating smoothly.

McCarthy has lost three games as a starting quarterback across high school, college and NFL. Three losses combined at those levels. Winners find ways to persevere when negative situations occur.

The first three quarters of his first start were a mess. Nothing went right. McCarthy looked antsy at the line of scrimmage and in the pocket. Coach Kevin O’Connell saw “sloppiness” from the entire offense.

The response was most impressive. McCarthy didn’t get rattled by the circumstances, which would have been understandable given all the attention on his debut, his return to his hometown and legitimate expectations of a veteran team built to win now.

That’s a lot of pressure on a young leader. And when things started poorly, particularly after his errant pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the third quarter, one couldn’t help but think “Uh-oh.”

McCarthy didn’t flinch. He continued to project confidence and positivity.

“I always [say] he’s different up here,” veteran running back Aaron Jones said, pointing to his head. “It’s just his mentality. He’s a special guy.”

Coaches and teammates have raved about McCarthy’s maturity and makeup for months. But it’s one thing to show it in the relatively low-stress environment of practice and something entirely different to be trailing by double digits on the road on “Monday Night Football” in the season opener when all eyes are fixated on the new guy who holds the keys to the organization in his hands.

“We all believe J.J. is made of the right stuff and we all believe he would respond in those moments,” O’Connell said. “But that’s an accurate statement to say we hadn’t actually seen it.”

McCarthy’s response to that predicament should be the biggest takeaway. His first season will have more tough moments, more youthful mistakes, more adversity. He seems well-equipped to handle rough spots emotionally and mentally.

He credits meditation for giving him the tools to “control the controllables” and not get derailed by whatever has happened previously in a game, good or bad.

“Stay present, stay calm and really just worry about operating the next play,” he said. “It’s really simple [concept] but hard to do.”
In sports, this is called having the “It” factor. Impossible to define, easy to recognize in competition.

McCarthy gave a snapshot of it when he walked into the huddle during a TV timeout with his team trailing by 11 points, looked at his teammates and delivered a quote that is destined to get printed on T-shirts: “Is there any place else you guys would rather be?”

“A smile goes a long way,” he said. “There were a lot of smiles after I said that. Just a little bit of a perspective shift. Yeah, things weren’t going our way, but we’re here doing this together.”

The snowball was gaining steam at that point. McCarthy made clutch plays to engineer a spirited comeback. Emotions poured out of him, resulting in emotions pouring out of his teammates and coaches.

His debut was a wild ride. The young quarterback remained undeterred by all of it. In his words, that’s how he rolls.

STRIB

I heard this in a quick sound bite from Will Fries yesterday, but I can't find it anywhere now. I've searched and searched. I don't even know on what podcast or radio show he said this but here's what I heard. He talking about the O-line and how he feels its going to be an ass kicker after some time together, blah blah. And he goes, 'I've never seen Ryan (Kelly) run like that' and then big laughter. His point was when JJM ran for that TD, Kelly ran like a madman to get to JJ in the endzone and he had never seen that before in their time together. 

Point being Kelly is a massive JJM fan. The whole team loves him and wants him to succeed....like everyone. This kid's equity with this team and organization is almost cult-like. He's even mesmerized KOC into bypassing Uncle Sammy, Danny Dimes and Aaron Rodgers to get him his reps this year. KOC knows JJM can't be what he can be by sitting him for another year, he's got to see those reps, meet those live bullet challenges. 

Anyway, even a crusty hardcore badass like Ryan Kelly will run to support this guy.

Why JJ McCarthy and the Vikings maintain best is rest to come

By Alec Lewis
Sept. 11, 2025 6:02 am EDT


EAGAN, Minn. — There are often important little Easter-egg-like nuggets hidden in Kevin O’Connell’s news conferences. They’re easy to miss. His discernment regarding what to say — and what not to say — is exceptional, but every so often, he’ll provide a pivotal tidbit.

This happened on Wednesday.

He was asked about young quarterback J.J. McCarthy and how the second-year signal caller managed his emotions during the difficult points of Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears. O’Connell responded not by mentioning McCarthy but by highlighting superstar receiver Justin Jefferson.


“It’s not just (J.J.),” O’Connell said, “it’s our whole team (managing their emotions). One of the people I was most proud of was Justin. This is a guy who expects to go out there and make a play every single play.”


O’Connell’s point? Jefferson didn’t do what some top-tier receivers would. There were no coolers flipped, no tablets thrown. Jefferson was not barking at McCarthy or the coaching staff or anyone. He managed whatever flames might have been blazing within, and the impact of his tranquility was unquestionable.

Whether he’ll have to sustain his calmness — and whether he’d be able to or not — are different conversations entirely. Jefferson has eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his first five NFL seasons, including 2022 when he started only nine games. O’Connell’s offense spun its wheels at times with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and even last year with Sam Darnold. But never for an extended period.

Fortunately for Jefferson and the Vikings, the early sense from the offensive staff and players is that the first three quarters of Monday night were outliers. Struggles due to execution. A lack of refinement and detail from not just McCarthy but the entire unit.

“I thought there was some sloppiness to how we played,” O’Connell said. “And we talk about all 11 (players). How many snaps did we have of all 11 guys simply doing their job?

On an early third down, the Vikings offense mistimed a motion, and Jefferson slipped after being jammed at the beginning of his route. Veteran receiver Adam Thielen dropped a pass. Pre-snap penalties left the Vikings in impossibly lengthy third-and-long situations.

Some of the trouble with the play clock was a byproduct of lengthier play calls to counteract the Bears’ third-down structures, O’Connell said. It’s not that Minnesota was drawing up pass concepts on the sideline in the dirt. It’s more that Chicago defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was introducing coverage principles he hadn’t in the past, and as a result, the Vikings needed to tweak their play-call language on the fly.

This is partially where the optimism about the offense’s trajectory lies. O’Connell, McCarthy and the other offensive players have experience actively problem-solving. It’ll soon come in handy. The forthcoming matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, a hodge-podge defense constructed by head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, is bound to present unexpected challenges.

Traditionally, Ulbrich designs defenses with four-down fronts, using elite pass rushers and stunts to apply pressure and allowing his cornerbacks to play physically. Morris has been more multiple in his coverage usages and front structures. In Week 1, the Falcons played the majority of their defensive snaps with one deep safety. Teams rarely adopt that approach against the Vikings. The uncertainty leaves Minnesota’s offensive staff in a precarious position.

Will the Falcons defense play the way it played last year? Or will it be more similar to what Atlanta showed Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Or could they try something altogether different?

“Now you have a world (in Atlanta) where they can mesh two different schemes entirely and create some problems for offenses,” O’Connell said, “especially early in the season.”

Speaking of Jackson, what happens as he gains more experience and continuity alongside center Ryan Kelly? If Monday serves as a guide, the ceiling is lofty. Toss in Thielen’s further acclimation to the evolved offense and more reliance on the running back duo of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, and the potential is undeniable.

Oh, by the way, third-year receiver Jordan Addison — who had the best training camp of any Vikings offensive player — will return in Week 4 in Dublin against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hence, the team’s belief.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” McCarthy said Wednesday, “and we’re definitely not even close to where we want to be as an offense.”

How quickly can the Vikings arrive at full form? And if the Vikings’ fourth-quarter rhythm doesn’t carry over into Sunday night’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium, can key cogs like Jefferson maintain their demeanor? That might be more crucial to McCarthy’s development than anything else.

Mind you, the idea was circulated in O’Connell’s news conference for a reason.

What seems like yesterday and a blink of an eye and so long ago at the same time. So many of us remember where we were that day. So many heroic people stepped up and did what they could in the midst of such an unimaginably horrific event. Survivors and those lost have children that have graduated college since then and gone on to many other milestones of life. That day changed so much forever. Never forget.

A few gun deaths a year is the price we pay for the second amendment.

I think the best way we can honor Charlie Kirk is to not give a fuck over his death. After all, empathy is a made up, woke word.

If you don’t like being called a fascist, maybe don’t vote for people who construct concentration camps, vilify minorities and women, and send the national guard to occupy our nation’s capitol. 

It would probably also be wise as a Christian not to support pedophiles. I’m thinking judgement day is going to be really uncomfortable for a lot of you “Christians”

Sorry to put this here, but as I’ve been denied access to the proper forum, this remains my only option.

P. S

Man, did I nail down a lot of the rookies in this class!

How did Tinglehoff, Yary, Tarkenton, Eller, Page, Bill Brown, and Marshall go YEARS without missing a game and now every week we have an injury report that can fill a hospital ward?

Seeing video, there is very little chance that he survived.

I must say the anger that I possess right now is not healthy towards many of the people on here that make a sport of spewing their hate for Trump or anyone that dares to support him.  You don't use words like fascism, nazi, and all the other bullshit that spew out of today's Democratic party without that hate penetrating the public.  How many more of the types of attacks on ICE, on Trump, on politicians, justices, people that show suppor for Trump, etc.. are needed before people can accept the outcome of an election and a movement.  Trump for all his warts is mostly a moderate who wants less crime, less war, and more prosperity for all.  It shouldn't result in the shit that's come about, and it's just to the point where I'll say f..k you to those of you with TDS so bad that that kind of hate emanates from you.  A self-made man was gunned down today for the express purpose of silencing him because they couldn't defeat his arguments..

Love to hear this!!  You do have to be fearless to return punts/kickoffs!

https://www.vikings.com/news/nfl-power-r...025-season

I know, power rankings are just click bait and are about as worthless as mock drafts for 2 years in the future.  But I have a weakness and like to check them.

I wasn't put off by being ranked low before last week, we had an unknown at QB and would be starting the year in Chicago on MNF.  Everyone was bracing for the worst.  But after a great comeback win, one would think we would move up a bit.  But not according to these geniuses (seriously, they get paid to write speculation and pure drivel).  One even moved the Vikings down.

To top it off, they are already crowning the packers asses.  #4 after that win against Detroit?  A win is a win, but that wasn't impressive.  

Ah well, bunch of idiots.  I will enjoy the win, they can have their week 1 championship trophy.