Vikings, J.J. McCarthy flip the script vs. Bears on 'Monday Night Football': Highlights

J.J. McCarthy's starting debut for the Minnesota Vikings looked like it would be of the inauspicious variety.

Then came the fourth quarter, at which point McCarthy reminded everyone of why the Vikings were confident letting Sam Darnold walk in free agency.

McCarthy and the Vikings scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun the Bears in a 27-24 victory. McCarthy led three consecutive touchdown drives, throwing the first two touchdowns of his career to Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones before taking the final score in himself.

McCarthy finished the game completing 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 25 yards and a touchdown on his lone scramble.

Meanwhile, the Bears got off to a strong start to the Ben Johnson era when Caleb Williams led a touchdown drive to open the game. But following that, the Bears went 10 drives without finding the end zone again. They didn't get another offensive touchdown until their final drive, at which point Chicago was trailing by 10 points.

That will leave Johnson wanting to find more consistency as he heads into his second game as the Bears coach against his former team, the Detroit Lions.

USA TODAY Sports tracked the action from Monday night's Bears vs. Vikings game. Below is a look at the highlights and notable moments from the contest.

Final score: Vikings 27, Bears 24

Bears force 3-and-out, trail with no timeouts remaining

The Vikings have six 3-and-outs in the game but this one was productive as they ran the clock down to 16 seconds before punting the ball away.

Chicago takes over with 9 seconds remaining on its own 20.

Caleb Williams throws first TD pass of 2025 to Rome Odunze, Bears trail 27-24

The Bears quickly drove down the field in 51 seconds, resulting in a 1-yard touchdown grab by second-year wideout Rome Odunze. Big chunk plays on the drive came in the form of an acrobatic Cole Kmet catch for 31 yards and later a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Ivan Pace Jr. which set up the Bears on the goal line.

The Bears are down three after Cairo Santos nailed the extra point, and they have one timeout remaining with 2:02 to go in the fourth quarter.

Vikings 27, Bears 24

Vikings score TD on third consecutive possession, extend lead

Minnesota drove 68 yards for a touchdown on its third straight possession in the fourth quarter. The Vikings had the ball up three and were attempting to run more time off the clock but they pushed the ball down the field behind Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones.

J.J. McCarthy scores the first rushing touchdown of his career and the Vikings have 21 unanswered points. The Bears trail by 10 with 2:53 to go in the fourth quarter.

Vikings 27, Bears 17

Vikings partially block Bears punt midway through fourth quarter

The Vikings defense has buttoned up in the second half. Brian Flores' unit has stopped the Bears on six consecutive third downs, including a third-and-14 on Chicago's most recent drive.

Then, Minnesota's special teams got in on the action with Eric Wilson partially blocking a punt.

The Vikings have the ball up three and can potentially run more time off the clock as they nurse a 3-point lead.

J.J. McCarthy tosses second TD to Aaron Jones, gives Vikings lead

For the first time in the 2025 NFL season, the Vikings have a lead. After Tyrique Stevenson was whistled for a controversial pass interference penalty, McCarthy found his running back Jones wide open for an easy touchdown toss.

McCarthy then found Adam Thielen on the ensuing 2-point conversion to give the Vikings a 3-point fourth-quarter lead.

Vikings 20, Bears 17

Bears go 3-and-out, Vikings sack Caleb Williams for first time

Following Minnesota's first touchdown of the season, Javon Hargrave sacked Caleb Williams on the first snap of the Bears' ensuing drive. Chicago could not gain the yardage back on the next two plays and were forced to punt.

Myles Price managed to bring the ball back 22 yards, setting up the Vikings in excellent field position at the 50-yard line.

J.J. McCarthy connects with Justin Jefferson for first NFL TD pass

The first three quarters were forgettable for McCarthy, but the Vikings finally found the end zone for the first time in 2025 early in the fourth quarter. Jordan Mason gained 30 yards on the ground before McCarthy connected with Justin Jefferson for a 13-yard touchdown. Jefferson was quiet with just one reception entering the fourth quarter, but he added a 17-yard grab earlier in the drive.

Minnesota's two-point conversion failed but the Vikings showed signs of life with 12:13 to go in the fourth quarter.

Bears 17, Vikings 12

Cairo Santos misses 50-yard field goal attempt outside the right upright

The Bears enjoyed a quality drive toward the end of the third quarter, but it was stalled by an offensive holding penalty, which forced Chicago to settle for a long-range field goal attempt.

Santos came on to attempt the 50-yard kick and missed it outside to the right upright. The Bears hold an 11-point lead with Minnesota taking over at its own 47.

Bears 17, Vikings 6

End of third quarter: Bears hold 17-6 lead, in field goal range to open fourth quarter

The Bears methodically moved the ball down the field on their most recent drive, leaning on D'Andre Swift and the running game. Swift rushed five times for 32 yards on the drive before a holding call by right tackle Darnell Wright stalled the drive in Vikings territory.

Chicago faced a third-and-30 but Williams connected with Olamide Zaccheaus to get the Bears into field goal range as time expired in the third.

Adam Thielen drop leads to another 3-and-out for Minnesota

The Vikings veteran wide receiver, Adam Thielen, failed to make a catch on third and short that would have given the Vikings and J.J. McCarthy a first down. The pass was broken up by Tyrique Stevenson.

Minnesota punted the ball back to Chicago who take over at its own 24.

Bears second drive after halftime stalls, forced to punt

Caleb Williams connected with DJ Moore for 22 yards but then failed to move the ball further down the field. Notably, rookie Luther Burden made his first NFL catch on the drive, but he went three yards backwards on the grab.

Chicago punted the ball back to Minnesota, who will take over on its own 23-yard line.

Vikings go 3-and-out after J.J. McCarthy sacked again

Two things have plagued McCarthy in his NFL debut above all else: sacks and delay of game penalties. He had one of each on the drive following his pick-6, which allowed the Bears to easily stop the Vikings and force another punt.

The Vikings now have five 3-and-outs and have not shown much rhythm on offense throughout the game.

Nahshon Wright intercepts J.J. McCarthy, returns it for TD

McCarthy made a big mistake on a third-and-long in field goal range. He tried to force the ball to Justin Jefferson, and it was picked off by Wright, who had a clear lane to take it 74 yards for a touchdown.

Cairo Santos makes the extra point to extend Chicago's lead to 11 points.

Bears 17, Vikings 6

Dayo Odeyingbo flagged for roughing the passer

The Bears got good pressure on J.J. McCarthy to open the second half, but Odeyingbo hit McCarthy a fraction of a step late and high after the quarterback delivered an incompletion. That resulted in a 15-yard penalty that put the Vikings in field goal range.

Bears open second half with 3-and-out after three straight Caleb Williams incompletions

The Bears could not start the second half the same way they did the first. Ben Johnson's squad came out of the locker room and dialed up three consecutive passing plays. None were completed, so Chicago punted the ball back to Minnesota.

Myles Price, an undrafted rookie returner, managed to bring the ball back 21 yards, setting up the Vikings in great field position at Chicago's 49-yard line.

Caleb Williams stats at halftime

Williams has been the better of the two quarterbacks through two quarters. The second-year quarterback completed 13 of 16 passes for 112 yards, which included a stretch of 10 consecutive completions to start the game. He has a passer rating of 95.8 at the half.

Williams has also made plays with his legs, adding 32 yards and a touchdown on four carries. Impressively, he has not been sacked once after leading the league in that category last season (68).

J.J. McCarthy stats at halftime

McCarthy has had an up-and-down start to his first NFL game. The first-year starter has completed 5 of 8 passes for 48 yards while adding 11 yards on one scramble.

McCarthy has been sacked twice but hasn't turned the ball over. He has a 79.2 passer rating at the half.

Halftime score update: Bears lead Vikings 10-6

The Bears and Vikings are engaged in a grind-it-out defensive showdown on "Monday Night Football." Chicago scored a touchdown on its first offensive drive, but since then, the teams have largely traded field goals and punts.

Caleb Williams has enjoyed a quality first half for the Bears and is looking comfortable in Ben Johnson's offensive system. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy got off to a slow start to his debut but managed to complete a 28-yard strike to Jalen Nailor just before halftime to set up Minnesota's final score.

The Bears will get the ball after halftime, looking to build upon their lead and find the end zone for the second time.

Will Reichard nails 59-yard field goal, setting new career-long

The Vikings didn't have much time to get into field goal range after the Bears scored, but J.J. McCarthy managed to find Jalen Nailor for a 28-yard gain. That positioned Reichard for a 59-yard field goal attempt, which he made.

Reichard's field goal tied the record for the longest ever made at Soldier Field. The Vikings are now trailing by just 4 with 6 seconds remaining in the first half.

Bears 10, Vikings 6

Cairo Santos sneaks 42-yard field goal inside right upright

The Bears enjoyed a quality drive toward the end of the first half, but a nice tackle by Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. on wide receiver Rome Odunze forced Chicago to settle for a mid-range field goal attempt.

Santos came on to attempt the 42-yard kick and kept it inches inside the right upright. The Bears now have a 7-point lead with 24 seconds left in the first half.

Bears 10, Vikings 3

Vikings punt it back to Bears

The last three possessions of this "Monday Night Football" clash have all ended with punts. The latest saw the Vikings kick it back to the Bears after they lost 9 yards thanks to a couple of penalties and J.J. McCarthy incompletions.

Vikings force Bears punt for second time

Caleb Williams had about as impressive of a 2-yard scramble as you'll see on third down, but it wasn't enough for Chicago to move the chains. The Bears punted the ball back to the Vikings as a result.

Minnesota will now look to mount a second scoring drive, trailing 7-3 with 5:52 left in the first half.

Vikings go 3-and-out again after Justin Jefferson stopped short of first down

Minnesota could not capitalize on Chicago's inability to convert on fourth down. J.J. McCarthy hit a couple of short passes to Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson, but the latter was stopped short of the line to gain on third down.

Ryan Wright's punt went just 32 yards, setting up the Bears with good field position at their own 35-yard line.

Bears go for it on fourth-and-3, fail to convert

The Detroit Lions were one of the most aggressive teams when it came to going for it on fourth down during Ben Johnson's time there. He carried over that trend to his first game as Bears coach.

However, Chicago couldn't convert the fourth-and-3. Caleb Williams overthrew an open DJ Moore beyond the sticks, resulting in an incompletion and a turnover on downs.

Where is Sam Darnold playing?

Darnold is playing for the Seattle Seahawks. He signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks in free agency. The Vikings let him walk to allow J.J. McCarthy to take over as the team's starting quarterback.

Vikings get on board with 31-yard field goal

J.J. McCarthy has led the first scoring drive of his NFL career. The Vikings couldn't punch in a touchdown, but Will Reichard made a chip shot, 31-yard field goal with ease to cut Minnesota's deficit to 4 points.

McCarthy had a nice 11-yard scramble on the drive, but the biggest play was a 42-yard pass interference penalty running back Aaron Jones drew on Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright.

Bears 7, Vikings 3

End of first quarter: Bears hold early 7-0 lead in Ben Johnson's debut

So far, so good for Johnson. The Bears scored a touchdown on his first drive as the team's coach, and Caleb Williams has looked a lot more comfortable than he did at any point during his rookie season.

Williams completed all nine of his passes in the first quarter for 56 yards. More impressively, he ran for 21 yards and a touchdown on two carries, finding plenty of running room behind his improved offensive line.

Meanwhile, his opponent and fellow 2024 draftee J.J. McCarthy completed his only passing attempt in the quarter but was sacked twice on two 3-and-outs to open the game. The 22-year-old is making his first-ever NFL start, so it may take time for him to settle into his new role.

Bears forced to punt after Rome Odunze tackled for loss on screen pass

Caleb Williams continued to make plays both on the ground and through the air on Chicago's second drive, but he had his worst throw of the day on a third-and-2. He threw a quick screen to Odunze, but the pass was behind the receiver, who had to adjust to it and go to the ground to make the catch.

Odunze was quickly touched down, and the Bears punted the ball back to the Vikings with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.

Who was the Vikings quarterback last year?

Sam Darnold was the Vikings quarterback last season. He started all 17 games for Minnesota in 2024 and led them to a 14-3 record. He posted a career-best 66.2% completion rate, 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency after the Vikings decided to make J.J. McCarthy, their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, their starting quarterback.

J.J. McCarthy sacked for second time as Vikings go 3-and-out again

For the second consecutive possession, the Vikings have been forced to punt because of a third-down sack of McCarthy. This time, the first-year starter tried to scramble into an open lane but was tripped up and failed to make it back to the line of scrimmage.

The Bears will get the ball back on their own 25-yard line with a 7-point lead.

What does 'VMH' stand for on Bears jersey?

The Bears added the "VMH" jersey patch to pay tribute to their former owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died in February at the age of 102.

Caleb Williams scrambles 9 yards for first NFL rushing TD

Williams did not have a rushing touchdown during his first NFL season. His first score of the 2025 campaign saw him run to his left and power through a Jeff Okudah hit to get the Bears on the board.

Williams went 6 of 6 passing for 51 yards on the first drive as well. Cairo Santos makes the extra point to give the Bears an early 7-0 lead.

Bears 7, Vikings 0

Bears hold Vikings to three-and-out to open the game

J.J. McCarthy's first NFL drive ended with a sack by Gervon Dexter Sr. McCarthy completed a pass to Josh Oliver on second down, but Chicago's defense came up with the stop on third down to force the game's first punt.

What time is the Bears vs. Vikings game tonight?

• Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. CT)

The Bears vs. Vikings matchup is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Vikings travel to Soldier Field in Chicago to face off against their divisional foe.

What TV channel is the Bears vs. Vikings game?

• TV channel: ESPN

ESPN is the broadcast home of "Monday Night Football." Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have the call, with Lisa Salters patrolling the sidelines.

Bears vs. Vikings odds, moneyline, O/U

Bears vs. Vikings prediction

Week 1 has delivered an abundance of entertainment and the show could be starting in Chicago with Ben Johnson in town. The Bears have the prized head coach now to pair with their prized No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off a 14-3 season but J.J. McCarthy is making his NFL debut.

Chicago made incredible strides in improving its personnel this offseason most notably in the trenches where games are won and lost. It's time to believe in the product. Minnesota will be without No. 2 wide receiver Jordan Addison tonight because of a suspension, and his absence will be notable because Chicago's defense will key in on Justin Jefferson. Chicago shows us they are ready for prime time. – Tom Viera

Prediction: Bears 24, Vikings 20

Bears vs. Vikings live stream

• Live stream: Fubo | ESPN+

Cord-cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.

ESPN+, the proprietary streaming service of ESPN, will also carry the game.

Watch "Monday Night Football" with a Fubo subscription

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Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?

The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six.

Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.

NFC North standings

1. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
2. Minnesota Vikings (0-0)
3. Chicago Bears (0-0)
4. Detroit Lions (0-1)

NFL Week 1 final scores

Thursday, Sept. 4

Philadelphia Eagles 24, Dallas Cowboys 20

Friday, Sept. 5

Los Angeles Chargers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 21

Sunday, Sept. 7

• Las Vegas Raiders 20, New England Patriots 13
• Pittsburgh Steelers 34, New York Jets 32
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Atlanta Falcons 20
• Indianapolis Colts 33, Miami Dolphins 8
• Arizona Cardinals 20, New Orleans Saints 13
• Washington Commanders 21, New York Giants 6
• Cincinnati Bengals 17, Cleveland Browns 16
• Jacksonville Jaguars 26, Carolina Panthers 10
• San Francisco 49ers 17, Seattle Seahawks 13
• Green Bay Packers 27, Detroit Lions 13
• Los Angeles Rams 14, Houston Texans 9
• Denver Broncos 20, Tennessee Titans 12
• Buffalo Bills 41, Baltimore Ravens 40

Bears inactives vs. Vikings

Vikings inactives vs. Bears

Caleb Williams has arrived for 'Monday Night Football' vs. Vikings

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick arrived at Soldier Field wearing a jersey of Bears legend Brian Urlacher.

J.J. McCarthy arrives for his NFL debut

Justin Jefferson arrives for 'Monday Night Football' in style

Perennial contender for Offensive Player of the Year, Justin Jefferson, has arrived at Soldier Field before kickoff of his sixth NFL season.

NFL MVP odds 2025

• 1. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (+310)
• 2. QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (+550)
• 3. QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (+750)
• T4. QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (+1000)
• T4. QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (+1000)
• 6. QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (+1200)
• 7. QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (+1400)
• 8. QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (+1500)
• 9. QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (+2500)
• 10. QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3000)

Ben Johnson has arrived for Bears debut

Chicago has a new coaching staff in 2025, headlined by Ben Johnson, who makes his way onto the field for his NFL head coaching debut on "Monday Night Football."

WR Adam Thielen is back in Vikings uniform

Adam Thielen takes a pay cut with Vikings

Thielen was originally set to play the 2025 NFL season on a one-year, $8.5 million restructured contract he inked with the Panthers during the offseason, per Spotrac.com. The deal provided the 35-year-old an opportunity to earn an additional $4 million, which were tied to receiving yards, receptions and playoff results. Tom Pelissero reports Thielen agreed to reduce his salary by $2 million. He also removed the $4 million in potential incentives from his contract.

The Vikings still have just under $16.2 million in cap space thanks to Thielen's adjustments. That ranks 13th-most in the NFL, per OverTheCap.com, and positions the team with some flexibility to improve its roster during the 2025 NFL season. - Jacob Camenker

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vikings, J.J. McCarthy flip the script vs. Bears on 'Monday Night Football': Highlights

Reporting by Joe Rivera, Tom Viera and Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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