Instead, one final game-wrecking mistake — this time a 61-yard kick return allowed by the Vikings’ special teams — foiled any chance JJ McCarthy & Co. had of stealing a home win they didn’t deserve, against a Bears team that was trying to give it to them.

The Vikings’ obvious issue Sunday afternoon was under center. Early and often against the Bears, young quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled see open wide receivers.

Even when he did, the 22-year-old former first round pick couldn’t hit them most of the time. He rocketed balls that needed touch, an issue that has plagued him going back to his days at Michigan.

Did JJ McCarthy hit rock bottom vs Bears?

But that was far from his only problem in week 11, where he was all over the place, missing high, missing low missing to and fro. McCarthy has laid some duds this season, but against Chicago, let’s hope he hit rock bottom.

On Sunday, KOC tasked McCarthy to throw the ball 32 times. His QB rewarded him by completing just 16 of them (50%), sprinkling in a couple of terrible interceptions along the way. 98% of the redshirt rookie’s performance this weekend looked like a slow car accident.

⚠️JJ McCarthy on the @Vikings Opening drive
– Underthrows a wide open Jordan Addison
– Overthrows a wide open Justin Jefferson#Skol pic.twitter.com/XwLpcwp9LY

— Intrinsic (@intrinsicvalyou) November 16, 2025

Related: Former Gopher Calls for Vikings to Replace JJ McCarthy

And then out of nowhere, the final drive happened. With all the money on the line, when the Vikings needed it post, JJ drove the offense 85 yards on 10 plays, completing 6-of-8 passes. His final throw of the game was a touchdown to Jordan Addison that gave Minnesota the lead with just 50 seconds left to play (see below)

Tough love from Minnesota Vikings legend Cris Carter

And that’s where former NFL linebacker-turned FOX Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho wanted to shift focus after Sunday’s loss, posting a video of JJ’s last-minute TD pass on X, along with the caption “J.J. McCarthy got that clutch gene!!”

Well, MN Vikings legend Cris Carter was having none of that Acho’s positivity. Shortly after his colleague at FOX posted about McCarthy’s final drive, Carter quote tweeted it saying, “Did you watch the first 59 minutes”. Yikes…

Did you watch the first 59 mins ? 👎🏾 https://t.co/vziZ8y2BQN

— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) November 17, 2025

Carter is a Hall of Fame wide receiver. He’s certainly going to side with guys from his position group. As a Minnesota Vikings legend though, he knows there is little benefit to tearing down the team’s talent. The problem is that the reality has become to glaring to overlook.

For weeks it has seemed as though Kevin O’Connell’s playcalling has been a problem holding the Vikings back. On Sunday, however, he was in over his head in an offense that was clearly simplified to make life easier for him.

When asked after the game how poorly McCarthy would have to play for the head coach to replace him with former Gopher Max Brosmer, KOC declined to answer the question.

Q: Is there a level of performance that [J.J. McCarthy] would need to get to for you to consider whether he should be replaced in a game?

Kevin O'Connell: "Yeah, I'm not going to get into any of that right now."

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 16, 2025

Of course, their fortunes changed very quickly, a momentum swing that starting late in the third quarter, when Minnesota’s redshirt rookie found his footing and his propensity to step up in big moments. One 21-0 fourth quarter run later, and the Vikings were milking clock up 10 points with less than three minutes remaining on the clock.

Entering just his fourth season as head coach, Kevin O’Connell is already gaining a reputation as one of the best in the business, not just as someone who connects well with players, but for his elite abilities as an offensive scheme artist and play-caller too.

Which brings us back to Monday night, where the Minnesota Vikings were down 17-12 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. After the Vikings ran the ball on first down religiously all night, KOC called a play action pass that, with the right read and against the right defense, had the opportunity for an explosive play.

Emmanuel Acho raves about Kevin O’Connell’s play call

This is where I will let former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho take over. Because it was this play call — of everything the Vikings did during their week one comeback — that struck Acho as the perfect play, for the perfect moment.

In short, because Chicago gave them the defensive call they were hoping for, it put the Bears linebackers in a coverage where they were caught trying to pick between the best of two evils. The beneficiary: Aaron Jones.

J.J. McCarthy to make another play. Kevin O’Connell dialed up a pass with running back Aaron Jones as the intended target. Emmanuel Acho, a former Eagles linebacker, detailed why it was so impressive to see unfold.

Kevin O’Connell is an absolutely brilliant offensive mind. Brilliant.

With the game in the balance, O’Connell dialed up the hardest play for a linebacker to defend in all of football. 🤯#AchoAnalysis| #SKOL pic.twitter.com/Mxcq3XdDwq

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 9, 2025

“Kevin O’Connell is one of the smartest offensive coaches in all of football. The hardest route to cover as a linebacker, take it from me, is if a running back comes out and runs a flag route or a corner route.

The running back could literally do anything. He could go out, he could go in, he could go stop, he could go vertical. That’s why Sewell right here has his feet in the mud, has no idea what’s coming. Now, if you get the right coverage, it’s literally seven every single time.

J.J. [McCarthy] didn’t even have to throw a great ball. Literally it’s the best play call versus this defense. Linebacker on running back, Aaron Jones is going to win every time…Phenomenal job by KOB dialing that up. Ten out of ten.”

Emmanuel Acho

Acho agrees: O’Connell and McCarthy seem different

You don’t always need to view the game through the lens of a former player, to have adequate insight. However, when a guy with as much experience as Acho, specifically at linebacker, is hit this hard by the X’s and O’s of a a play, it’s more affirmation that the Minnesota Vikings are in good hands with Kevin O’Connell.

A two point conversion to Adam Thielen, to top off McCarthy’s second NFL touchdown pass, put the Vikings up 20-17 with 9:46 to play. It was the first time they held a lead all night, and they never gave it back.

JJ McCarthy flashed so much last night pic.twitter.com/Z4BpznCx9r

— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) September 9, 2025

For three quarters O’Connell watched his young quarterback trying to get comfortable. Everything surrounding Minnesota’s 2025 season opener was built to distract the 22-year-old former college superstar.

Related: Key Takeaways From MN Vikings Incredible Comeback Victory Over Bears

He was playing back home, in front of a bunch of family under the lights with a bunch of dudes 10 years older than him. ven the field conditions were working against him. Pick your excuse for a mental breakdown, it was there for the taking.

But not JJ McCarthy. Not our new QB. As adversity grew, the polarizing first round pick stepped up and played his best football of the night, even after he threw a pick six that, at the time, felt like the night’s dagger.