5 things that stood out from the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears

The Minnesota Vikings came back from a 17-6 fourth quarter deficit to beat the Chicago Bears on the road in a thrilling 27-24 spectacle.

Here are five things that stood out from Monday Night Football:

J.J. McCarthy announces himself

Missing the entirety of his rookie season with injury, J.J. McCarthy was thrust into the cauldron of Soldier Field on Prime Time for his NFL debut and many other first-time quarterbacks would have quailed under the spotlight.

It all could have gone so wrong with McCarthy as well, with the former Michigan signal-caller timid to begin with, taking too long to snap the ball, struggling with even the most conservative of plays from Kevin O'Connell, and then throwing a pick-six the moment he finally aired it out.

But there's a reason he won a national championship with Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, and he proved on Monday he has the stomach to overcome adversity in the big leagues, leading the Vikings on a stunning, record-making comeback in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Mason may be RB1, and Aaron Jones WR2

So anemic in the first half, the resuscitation of the Vikings offense coincided with heavier use of running back Jordan Mason, who was brought in from the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason to operate in tandem with veteran back Aaron Jones.

All of a sudden the Vikings were breaking tackles, with Mason racking up hard yards as he rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries. He also gave the Vikings a viable play-action option that was used to great effect during the fourth quarter.

That's not to say that Jones, who rushed 23 yards on only eight carries on Monday, should be ignored. He turned receiver on a 27-yard bomb from McCarthy that gave the Vikings the lead. Next Gen Stats says that only Saquon Barkley has more deep touchdown receptions among running backs than Aaron Jones since 2017.

With Jordan Addison missing the first three games of the season through suspension and Adam Thielen still getting back up to speed since his return to Minnesota, Jones could very well be the Vikings' best option at WR2 until Week 4 at least.

Special teams has a special player

The Vikings' fourth quarter comeback might not have been possible were it not for Myles Price.

The rookie wide receiver is the Vikings' new punt returner, and he played a vital role in delivering prime field position for his team with several long returns, including this 23-yard effort when the Vikings were down 17-12, and led to Jones' touchdown.