Vikings coach reveals his message to JJ McCarthy that led to QB’s historic fourth quarter

Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy may have just needed some positive reinforcement Monday from head coach Kevin O’Connell.

The Vikings’ Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears was McCarthy’s first time playing on an NFL field — and it sure looked like it in the first half. The second-year quarterback only threw for 48 yards as Minnesota trailed 10-6 through two quarters at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

With McCarthy only throwing eight times over the first two quarters, it was fair to question how much O’Connell trusted his inexperienced signal-caller. The Vikings head coach made sure to instill confidence in McCarthy before the start of the second half.

“I told him at halftime, ‘You are going to bring us back to win this game,'” O’Connell shared during his postgame press conference.

“And the look in his eye was fantastic. The best thing is just the belief I felt from the team, the unit. And ultimately, that doesn’t get done without him in the second half.”

McCarthy made all kinds of history to close out the Vikings’ 27-24 win over the Bears. He went 6/8 for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in the final period, and also ran in Minnesota’s decisive final TD himself.