CHICAGO (AP) — J.J. McCarthy threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and ran for another in his long-awaited NFL debut, and the Minnesota Vikings rallied for a season-opening 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

Chicago’s Caleb Williams had his first career rushing touchdown and threw for a score in Ben Johnson’s first game as the Bears’ coach.

McCarthy delivered down the stretch after struggling through the first three quarters in his first meaningful game since Michigan beat Washington for the national championship at the end of the 2023 season. He sat out last year with a knee injury after the Vikings drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick.

Now, Minnesota is counting on McCarthy.

“I felt poise from the very beginning,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.

O’Connel

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