5 things that stood out from the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears

Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (27) rushes the ball against Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings came back from a 17-6 fourth quarter deficit to beat the Chicago Bears on the road in a thrilling 27-24 spectacle.

Here are five things that stood out from Monday Night Football:

J.J. McCarthy announces himself

Missing the entirety of his rookie season with injury, J.J. McCarthy was thrust into the cauldron of Soldier Field in primetime for his NFL debut and many other first-time quarterbacks would have quailed under the spotlight.

It all could have gone so wrong with McCarthy as well, with the former Michigan signal-caller timid to begin with, taking too long to snap the ball, struggling with even the most conservative of plays from Kevin O'Connell, and then throwing a pick-six the moment he finally aired it out.

But there's a reason he won a national championship with Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, and he proved on Monday he has the stomach to overcome adversity in the big leagues, leading the Vikings on a stunning, record-making comeback in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Mason may be RB1, and Aaron Jones WR2

So anemic in the first half, the resuscitation of the Vikings offense coincided with heavier use of running back Jordan Mason, who was brought in from the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason to operate in tandem with veteran back Aaron Jones.

All of a sudden the Vikings were breaking tackles, with Mason racking up hard yards as he rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries. He also gave the Vikings a viable play-action option that was used to great effect during the fourth quarter.

That's not to say that Jones, who rushed for 23 yards on only eight carries on Monday, should be ignored. He turned receiver on a 27-yard bomb from McCarthy that gave the Vikings the lead, and also drew a long pass interference flag on a go route in the first half. Next Gen Stats says that only Saquon Barkley has more deep touchdown receptions among running backs than Jones since 2017.

With Jordan Addison missing the first three games of the season through suspension and Adam Thielen still getting back up to speed since his return to Minnesota, Jones figures to remain a key part of the Vikings' passing game, including on routes where he aligns out wide.

Special teams has a special player

The Vikings' fourth quarter comeback might not have been possible were it not for Myles Price.

The rookie wide receiver is the Vikings' new punt returner, and he played a vital role in delivering prime field position for his team with several long returns, including this 23-yard effort when the Vikings were down 17-12, and led to Jones' touchdown.

Myles Price with a 23 yard punt return! he is crushing his NFL debut. @2LiveCraig #NFL #SKOL #vikingsbears pic.twitter.com/nwhnZYIdms

— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 9, 2025

Special teams has been somewhat of a problem for the Vikings in the O'Connell era but they got off to an outstanding start on Monday, including a blocked punt by Eric Wilson (more on him shortly) and a smart kickoff return by Ty Chandler that ran down the clock to the two-minute warning.

After tough start, the Vikings defense arrived

On Chicago's first few drives the Vikings defense couldn't touch Caleb Williams. Even when they broke through the offensive line, the Bears quarterback was too nimble for a sack, while the secondary was giving up long plays that helped the Bears march down the field.

But outside of those first drives and Chicago's last meaningful drive in the fourth quarter, Brian Flores' defense was pretty dominant, with offseason addition Javon Hargrave finally finding his man, registering two sacks and a QB hit.

O'Connell also had special praise for Eric Wilson, the linebacker who came in for the injured Brian Cashman during the second half, tipping a punt and also wearing the "green dot" to take radio communications from the coaching staff to the defense.

"I don’t know if we win the football game unless you have Eric Wilson," said O'Connell, adding: "That's why we went out and got him."

Resilience a hallmark of KOC teams

For the past two seasons the national football media has been predicting "regression to the mean" for the Vikings at some point, convinced that their run of winning single-score games cannot possibly continue.

Here's the thing, NFL teams end up separated by a single score more often than not – 12 of the 16 Week 1 games were single-score games, for example. This is not something that's exclusive to the Vikings. Maybe it's high time that the Vikings and O'Connell are praised for showing consistent resilience in the heat of a tight game.

Whether it's coming back from a deficit or holding on to a lead, the Vikings have proven time and time again under O'Connell and Flores that they have the ability to make big plays and close out games. Give credit where it's due.