McCarthy, Vikings spoil Ben Johnson's Bears debut

CHICAGO -- Hello J.J. McCarthy. And invited backmost to the Minnesota Vikings defense.

The team's caller epoch astatine backmost began with a rousing comeback triumph implicit its NFC North rival successful a 27-24 triumph implicit the Chicago Bears.

And for arsenic overmuch attraction arsenic McCarthy's debut volition make -- it was the Vikings' defence that kept the squad successful the crippled portion the discourtesy struggled.

Bears backmost Caleb Williams completed his archetypal 10 passes arsenic Chicago took a 10-3 pb successful the 2nd quarter, but the Bears' discourtesy didn't people again until 2:02 remained successful the 4th quarter.

McCarthy accounted for 3 touchdowns successful the 4th quarter, including passes of 13 yards to Justin Jefferson and 27 yards to Aaron Jones Sr., and his 14-yard scramble successful the 4th fourth enactment the Vikings up by 10 and accounted for the last margin.

Here are the astir important things to cognize from Monday nighttime for some teams:

Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

What to marque of the QB performance: If you drew up a tenable but optimistic projection of however McCarthy's archetypal NFL commencement would go, this would beryllium it. He looked frenetic successful the archetypal half, changing plays often and looking unsettled successful the pocket. An interception returned for a touchdown successful the 3rd 4th seemed to extremity the game. But McCarthy, who is present 64-3 successful games helium has started since his sophomore twelvemonth successful college, settled down successful the 2nd half. The takeaway aft his archetypal start? McCarthy is simply a winner.

Trend to watch: The Vikings built the thought of their moving crippled to assistance McCarthy modulation into his role, and it spurred the squad during its second-half run. Newcomer Jordan Mason managed lone 14 yards successful the archetypal fractional but his hard moving broke the Bears aft halftime, and helium finished with 68 yards connected 15 carries. Mason's emergence coincided with the Vikings' archetypal 2 touchdown drives.

Stat to know: The Vikings' discourtesy needed assistance successful the archetypal fractional aft accumulating lone 80 yards and 4 archetypal downs, and kicker Will Reichard came to the rescue. His 59-yard tract extremity conscionable earlier halftime tied a Soldier Field record, a notable accomplishment fixed the historically atrocious upwind and tract conditions successful Chicago, and was th...