The Bears started the Ben Johnson era as well as one could have hoped, with a touchdown on their very first possession and, eventually, a lead that got to as large as 17-6 after Nahshon Wright's pick six. Sure, the offense had been uneven after the fast start, but the defense was dominating a struggling J.J. McCarthy , and 17 points looked less like a simple two-possession deficit and more like a mountain.

Well, the Vikings climbed that mountain. McCarthy found his composure and found his playmakers, tossing touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones . And in a crucial juncture, McCarthy even called his own number, pulling a read option for a 14-yard touchdown run that all but sealed things.

McCarthy is certainly the headliner, but on a night that looked like a gran

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