MINNEAPOLIS -- J.J. McCarthy 's first season as an NFL quarterback has gone so poorly that, on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings wanted nothing more than for him to remember what it's like for good things to happen.

So, in front of a subdued home crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium, coach Kevin O'Connell dialed up an approach that combined a series of small wins for McCarthy into one of the biggest victories in team history.

The Vikings' 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders was the franchise's biggest margin of victory in a shutout since 1980. It made the Vikings the first NFL team to secure a shutout after being shut out themselves in their previous game, and it represented a reawakening for an offense that hadn't scored a touchdown in 22 possessions entering the game.

But more than anythi

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