Vikings' Kevin O'Connell Reacts to Big J.J. McCarthy News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 3:38 PM ET

Led by second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears 27-24 on Monday Night Football.

It's great for the team's fourth year under head coach Kevin O'Connell, as the Vikings look to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2008 and 2009.

The good news continued to pour in on Wednesday, when the NFL announced McCarthy was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Kevin O'Connell Shares Clear Message for J.J. McCarthy

Considering this was the quarterback's NFL debut, it's a big achievement and even drew a reaction from O'Connell.

“Congratulations to J.J. McCarthy on the NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor,” O’Connell said. “Looking forward to seeing him build on that. It starts today, it starts with his preparation. Again, I thought he had a great week of preparation that led him into being able to overcome some adversity and help lead us.”

Head Coach Kevin O’Connell on @jjmccarthy09 receiving NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors pic.twitter.com/9A7OrBLGwh
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 10, 2025

Of course, the adversity mentioned by the head coach is no understatement, as things were looking bleak after McCarthy's third-quarter pick-six that gave the Bears a 17-6 lead.

However, he bounced back in a big way, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another in the fourth quarter, sparking an offense that'd been almost completely shut down until then.

Following that game, O'Connell praised his quarterback, saying, "There's no way to deny, we don't win this game unless J.J. plays the way he did in the second half. Most importantly, he kept the belief of his football team behind him. Now, we know it's possible," according to NFL.com's Grant Gordon.

Vikings Looking to Continue Momentum Into Week 2

After starting the season 1-0 dramatically, Minnesota is scheduled to play once again in primetime, facing the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday Night Football.

It's no easy matchup, as the Falcons are searching for their first win after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. As of now, though, ESPN BET places the Vikings as 3.5-point underdogs.

If McCarthy can once again lead his team to victory, it would be Minnesota and O'Connell's second straight season starting at least 2-0.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: