Kevin O'Connell Reveals Halftime Message He Told J.J. McCarthy Before Comeback Win

Kevin O'Connell had a confident message for J.J. McCarthy before he led the Vikings to a comeback win.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell had a confident message to J.J. McCarthy at halftime. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

J.J. McCarthy didn't offer many encouraging moments over the first three quarters of his debut with the Vikings against the Bears on Monday Night Football. Playing in his first NFL game and first football game since tearing his meniscus a year ago, McCarthy took time to settled into the game. The Vikings struggled to get much offense going early on, going three-and-out on four of their first drives. Outside of a couple field goal drives, the Vikings didn't show much to get excited about in the first half.

Despite a slow start to the game, head coach Kevin O'Connell's faith in McCarthy never wavered. O'Connell, who has been outspoken about the NFL needing to better support young quarterbacks, instead confidently reiterated his belief in McCarthy at halftime.

“I told [McCarthy] at halftime, 'You are going to bring us back to win this game,’ and the look in his eye was fantastic," O'Connell told reporters after the game.

O'Connell's message didn't immediately translate to success for McCarthy. On his first drive of the half, McCarthy threw a pick-six and the Vikings punted on their next two possessions. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that McCarthy emerged, leading three touchdown drives to help the Vikings come back and win 27-24.

"We don't win this game unless J.J. plays the way he did in the second half and most importantly kept the belief of his football team behind him," O'Connell said.

McCarthy finishes his first NFL game 13-of-20 for 143 yards and two touchdowns, along with 25 yards and a touchdown on the ground, His numbers don't pop off the page, but his effort in the face of adversity and after a rough three quarters will leave a lasting impression.

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