Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy helped lead his team to a 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night, and the former Michigan Wolverine was able to use his collegiate experience as a source of inspiration.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, McCarthy’s 2022 College Football Playoff loss to the TCU Horned Frogs served as a valuable lesson that aided the young signal caller in his NFL debut.
“McCarthy grew up in La Grange Park, outside of Chicago, and said he largely blocked out the cheers and jeers Bears fans subjected him to,” Seifert wrote. “Instead, he leaned on his experience in the semifinals of the 2022 College Football Playoff — when he had two interceptions returned for touchdowns in a 51-45 loss to TCU.”
“You never want to earn wisdom that way,” McCarthy said, “but it just brought me straight back to TCU when I had that first one early on in the game and then the second one later and at the end of the day. It sucks. It's one of the worst things you could do as a quarterback, but you can't do anything about it. You got to focus on the next play. The defense kept us in it the whole time, so it was just on our shoulders to go out there and execute and play as one and move on from that. That's one of those things I don't really hang on. And I was really grateful the way coach O'Connell handled it and was everyone on the same page.”
McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards. He recorded two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown while also tossing an interception. The 22-year-old was especially good in the second half as the Vikings rallied from what was a 17-6 deficit at one point in the third quarter.
The Vikings will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
