DISASTER ---> EUPHORIA

VIKINGS 27

BEARS 24

That was a rough way to start a season...for 3 quarters.

The official dawn of the JJ McCarthy era on Monday Night Football in Chicago, at the still-dreaded Soldier Field, could not have started out worse. It looked like, at best, a new chapter in the annals of ugly football played in that stadium. At worst, it looked like the kind of game that would obliterate the enthusiasm for a promising season and sow serious doubts about the viability of hitching the wagon to the new QB. 

But boy did it flip, and now the enthusiasm is sky high.

Nobody thought this was coming after 3 quarters. While the Vikings' defense had settled down after early struggles, and despite issues containing Caleb Williams scrambles, Chicago only had 3 points since their opening drive. 

But that offense...yeesh. Immediately, there were obvious jitters with McCarthy, and the poor OL performance (we were without Darrisaw, wisely held out given the shirts turf), and a few dropped passes didn't help. It appeared KOC was running an offensive gameplan designed to work around a QB he didn't trust to really go for it.

The highlight of the 1st half came right at the end, when Will Reichard boomed a 59-yard field goal. A 10-6 halftime deficit was a win.

But early in the 3rd, McCarthy looked to have thrown the game away, with a crushing pick six by Vikings legend Nahshon Wright. 17-6. Nothing in the Vikings next 2 drives indicated a bounceback. Both were 3 and outs, the latter ending with Adam Thielen dropping a wide open 3rd down throw. 

I mean, defense or not, this was over. 

The game began to flip on the Bears opening drive in the 4th. The Vikings' defense was weakening, and Chicago was driving for probably the clinching score. But once they neared the redzone, they got pushed way back by a holding and a grounding, and Cairo Santos missed a 50-yard field goal.

This tiny ember of momentum became a spark, as the Vikings offense finally came to. Jordan Mason had a couple of good runs, McCarthy hit his 1st big throw to Justin Jefferson, then hit Justin again on a laser for his 1st career TD pass. They failed twice to get the 2, but were back in the game. 

Now, the defense had a little extra fire, and finally got Caleb on the ground, with the first of Javon Hargrave's 2 sacks. 

Bears punt, and the momentum was now fully behind the Vikings. Jalen Nailor drew a pass interference, and the next play, McCarthy lofted a beautiful deep shot to elite wide receiver(?) Aaron Jones for the go-ahead touchdown. And this time, they did get the 2. 

Hargrave's 2nd sack helped force another Bears punt, and then we got to see something we never do.

How many times have we seen a Vikings team, going back years, have the ball and a late lead, only to not be able to put that finishing touch on?

I damn near cried watching this Vikings squad take that ball, and just start running the ball down Chicago's throat, with a couple short passes in there. And then, with 3rd and 1 at the 14, the game's 1st designed QB run. McCarthy took it around the right side and all the way into the endzone. That's 3 touchdowns in about 9 minutes. For one quarter, anyway, JJ McCarthy was everything we could dream.

Finishing the game still required a little sweat, as the Bears did score and did get one crack at the Stanford band play. But the win was secured, and as week 1 wins go, this has to be one of the most satisfying in recent memory. 

Time will tell if this is the first chapter of a glorious QB career, or just a flash. But any time you can start a season by grabbing a division road win, that's huge.