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Inside The Vikings

Best moments from Vikings' mic'd-up Monday night videos in Chicago

The Vikings' production team does a great job taking fans behind the scenes of games.
Will Ragatz|
Kevin O'Connell talks to J.J. McCarthy on the sideline during Monday night's win over the Bears.
Kevin O'Connell talks to J.J. McCarthy on the sideline during Monday night's win over the Bears. | Minnesota Vikings on YouTube

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings rallied from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit and beat the Bears 27-24 on Monday night, with J.J. McCarthy leading a thrilling comeback in his NFL debut. Chances are, you watched the game, but if you didn't, you've surely at least seen the highlights by now. A 21-0 run led by two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown for McCarthy, who had just 56 passing yards and a pick-six in the first three quarters of the contest.

But unless you follow the Vikings' YouTube page closely, you may not have seen some of the additional footage they've put out there. The Vikings Entertainment Network and their production team do a great job taking fans behind the scenes of games with their mic'd up content.

Here are some of the best moments from a couple of recently-released videos.

"Don't give up on me"

One of the two videos features star wide receiver Justin Jefferson wearing a microphone throughout Monday's game. The whole thing is worth a watch, but what stands out most are his interactions with McCarthy. You'd think that there might be some frustration from Jefferson, who had just 8 total yards on two touches in the first three quarters. But that wasn't the case.

At one point in the first half, Jefferson says "we just gotta get some completions, get you going" to McCarthy. Another time, it's just a reminder that "we're good" despite the early struggles.

And the best moment came when McCarthy says "don't give up on me" to Jefferson, who responds: "I got you, brother. You ain't gotta tell me." That's some big-time leadership from Jefferson, who also took responsibility for McCarthy's pick-six in the third quarter.

It was also pretty cool to see how excited Jefferson was for McCarthy after his rushing touchdown that all but sealed the deal late in the fourth quarter.

More Jefferson

One other great moment from the Jefferson video? His response to Bears safety Jaquan Brisker talking trash to him while being part of a double team on the Vikings' top receiver.

KOC and J.J.

The other video, which is the second episode of the team's The Voyage series, focuses on McCarthy. It starts with a look at his recovery process in the spring and then goes to Monday night. The best footage involves Kevin O'Connell talking to his young quarterback on the sideline after the second of his three touchdowns.

"As we go, I'm just gonna need you to continue to manage this thing for me because I might still give you some chances, real chances," O'Connell says. "And then just keep running the show. That's what we're doing better right now, everything's more efficient because you're driving the ship. You're doing great, man, I'm so f***ing proud of you."

It's worth watching the whole thing, including the end, when McCarthy goes to dap up numerous teammates in the locker room.

"I love the cold"

One highlight from earlier in the video sees McCarthy fall backwards into a cold pool. "If you don't chase the cold, the cold will chase you," he says. "I'm obsessed with the cold."

He's gonna fit in just fine in Minnesota.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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