Chicago kid J.J. McCarthy made his first NFL start a memorable one, rallying the visiting Minnesota Vikings to a 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
McCarthy made the decisive play with his legs on third-and-1 from the Chicago 14 with the clock ticking under three minutes. From the shotgun, he faked a handoff to running back Jordan Mason and sprinted right, racing to the front corner of the end zone behind a bullying block from tight end T.J. Hockenson to give the Vikings a 27-17 lead with 2:53 remaining.
Minnesota scored 21 unanswered points with touchdowns on three consecutive drives in the fourth quarter to erase a two-score deficit.
However, after going up 10, the Vikings allowed the Bears to reach the end zone in just 57 seconds to keep hope alive.
The Vikings' defense playe