After more J.J. McCarthy miscues, ‘that one play’ turns a Vikings win into a loss

The Vikings were less than a minute — 50 seconds — away from sweeping the season series against the Chicago Bears and securing young quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s third NFC North victory in as many opportunities.

Then Bears kick returner Devin Duvernay found a wide lane between Vikings safety Tavierre Thomas and outside linebacker Tyler Batty.

Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return, the longest against the Vikings since Week 17 of the 2022 season, set up a game-winning, 48-yard field goal for Bears kicker Cairo Santos and sent the Vikings to a 19-17 loss Sunday afternoon.

“That one play,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “It’s just the nature when you’re losing the turnover battle, maybe you’re leaving some plays out there. Your margin of error become razor thin for your whole team.”

“That’s what I told our team,” he added. “We’ve learned some hard lessons on that margin, that very thin margin of what these games come down to.”

Gone in 50 seconds was McCarthy’s chance to hoist another game-winning touchdown pass of his own, after he made a go-ahead, 15-yard TD throw to receiver Jordan Addison with less than a minute left. The throw gave the Vikings a 17-16 lead, their first since leading 3-0 late in the first quarter.

All the Vikings needed to do was keep the Bears out of scoring range.

After going 0-for-5 on the previous four possessions after halftime, McCarthy was 6-for-8 for 76 yards and the score to bring them back. McCarthy, making his fifth NFL start, said he didn’t know what was different about the last drive other than he needs to replicate that production the rest of the game.

“I need to do a better job with my decision making, the accuracy,” McCarthy said. “It needs to change. I need to be better. The overall execution of the offense. I need to be better on just doing my job at a higher level.”

One of McCarthy’s misses in the second half sailed over wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s helmet down the sideline.

McCarthy slapped his hands on his helmet in frustration as he walked off the field.

A home crowd that has watched a 1-4 record at U.S. Bank Stadium this season, including 0-3 with McCarthy under center, booed the 22-year-old quarterback. It’s the Vikings’ worst start at home since the 2020 season, when no fans were allowed in the stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just can’t miss those,” he added. “There’s three or five decisions, plays that I want back more than anything, and that’s one of them.”

To get McCarthy into favorable downs and distances, O’Connell leaned on the ground game. Running backs Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason combined for 24 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown.

But McCarthy’s supporting cast still needs to improve, said Addison, who dropped two of his seven targets.

Jefferson, Jones and receiver Adam Thielen also dropped passes. McCarthy completed just 16 of 32 throws for 150 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He has completed 52.9% of passes through five starts.

During and after the game, McCarthy could be seen walking up to his individual teammates and briefly chatting with each. He congratulated each member of the offense after Mason’s 16-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth quarter.

“He was telling me the ball’s going to come, and when it does just make a play,” Addison said. “He kept us motivated throughout the game.”

McCarthy’s misfires included two interceptions within a five-throw span during the second quarter. The first, picked off by veteran Bears safety Kevin Byard III, should have been checked down to fullback C.J. Ham, according to McCarthy, who was hit on the throw and said he couldn’t get his full strength behind the pass.

The second, intercepted by former Vikings cornerback Nahshon Wright (who also had a pick-six against McCarthy in the Vikings’ Week 1 win at Soldier Field), came on an end-zone attempt to Addison during a hurry-up drive before halftime. The ball appeared underthrown.

Through the bad passes, O’Connell said he repeated to McCarthy — “feet and eyes, feet and eyes” — hammering home the techniques that have been taught since he was drafted 10th overall out of Michigan in 2024.

O’Connell said he saw good habits throughout practices last week. But McCarthy has talked about how bad habits can creep back during games.

“It’s part of the young QB journey,” O’Connell said. “You’d love to be making a lot of those growth coaching points and development coaching points with a one-point win.”

Jefferson, who caught five passes for 61 yards, has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game at home this season. The team captain did not try to hide his frustration but said it needs to be harnessed into improvement.

“It’s not something that we’re keeping under the rug or anything — it’s difficult,” Jefferson said. “As a leader of this team, I have to be the first one out there. I have to be headfirst leading us in that direction of winning, of being where we need to be. So, if that means taking J.J. out and getting more time with him, creating that connection with him, then that’s what I got to do.”

The Vikings defense once again played well, forcing Bears quarterback Caleb Williams into three straight punts to open the game. The Vikings tied their season high by forcing 10 tackles for losses, including a sack each by edge rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. Williams completed only 50% of his throws for 193 yards and no touchdowns.

But Williams escaped multiple sack attempts, including one by safety Jay Ward during a Bears touchdown drive. The Vikings also could not force a takeaway for the fifth time in the last seven games. Even when Bears running back D’Andre Swift dropped a handoff in the first quarter, wide receiver Rome Odunze was there to recover it.

“I would like to see us start taking the ball away,” Cashman said. “It’s hard. I realize what offenses are doing. It’s almost like they’re coming out the gate in four-minute mode. They’re trying to run the ball, low-risk passing plays.”

The Vikings offense is also trying to minimize risk but for different reasons as this coaching staff continues to manage McCarthy’s growing pains.

“As I told him earlier in the game, ‘No matter what this day has been like,’” O’Connell said, “’I’m going to tell you at the end of this just move the ball down the field and help us win this game. I’m proud of you.’ And I told him that. Just once again, the result didn’t end up staying 17-16.”

Watch the postgame Access Vikings podcast: