J.J. McCarthy opens up on ‘surreal’ feeling after first NFL win with Vikings, ‘Can’t wait to go to…’

JJ McCarthy has spoken about the “surreal” feeling of winning his first game in the league.

Published on: Sep 10, 2025, 13:59:41 IST

Edited by Sumanti Sen

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The Minnesota Vikings left onlookers stunned during Monday’s game against the Chicago Bears. What appeared to be a solid loss during the first three quarters flipped its entire script, thanks to quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s performance in the last segment. He has now spoken about the “surreal” feeling of winning his first game in the league.

J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

What initially stood as an 11-point backlog for the Vikings soon turned around into a 10-point lead and ultimately victory at Soldier Field on Monday. This turnaround is owed in large measure to McCarthy scoring three straight touchdowns in the final quarter and linking up with running back Aaron Jones for a touchdown pass, as reported by Heavy Sports. This put the Vikings up 20-17 in the game.

J.J. McCarthy reacts

“What will @jjmccarthy09 remember most about tonight? "Getting the win,” the official Eagles handle posted on social media.

“It’s surreal, your first NFL win,” McCarthy told sideline reporter Lisa Salters on Monday. “Getting the win, that’s what I’ll remember most. Just being here in [my] hometown, it’s a dream come true. To all the kids out there, it’s possible. And I just love my guys and can’t wait to go to war next week.”

“Honestly, we were just figuring it out,” McCarthy responded to a query about an interception he threw early in the third quarter, which subsequently got rebuked by Bears cornerback Nashon Wright. “We were playing one play at a time. And coach [Kevin] O’Connell got in some great play calls, and we just executed.

“It’s just all 11 being on the same page. I feel like it’s game one, there’s a lot of things we gotta clean up. But I was really, really proud of how we responded because there’s gonna be a lot of gritty games in the future,” McCarthy summed up.

The Vikings are now scheduled to take on the Atlanta Falcons in their next season outing on Sunday, September 14.

– With inputs from Stuti Gupta

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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