JJ McCarthy led his Minnesota Vikings on an impressive comeback against the Chicago Bears on Monday night, and his behavior in the huddle apparently stood out to his teammates.
The Vikings came back from down 17-6 in the fourth quarter to beat the Bears 27-24 in Week 1 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. McCarthy passed for two touchdowns and ran for another to help his team get the win.
Aaron Jones rushed for 23 yards and had 44 yards receiving, including a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. He said after the game that McCarthy’s behavior in the huddle caught his attention.
“We’re down, we’re in the huddle, and J.J. runs into the huddle and he looks at all of us and he’s like, ‘is there any place else you guys would rather be?’ We’re all like, ‘wow. Effin’ right this is where we want to be,'” Jones said while speaking with the media after the game. “It just got everybody’s wheels turning up here. To me, that was just something special. Just being present and having that sense to motivate us in that way.”
Jones further complimented McCarthy.
“He’s a special guy, and I’m blessed to have him here,” Jones added.
McCarthy was the No. 10 overall pick by Minnesota last year, but he missed the whole season due to a torn meniscus in his knee. The Vikings went into this season expecting him to be their starter, and this is the first chance he’s had to show his team and their fans what he can do. Apparently he’s making a big impact on his teammates, while also pleasing the team’s fans. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell also apparently had a valuable message for McCarthy to inspire him.
