The Minnesota Vikings were looking to grab another essential win over their division rivals, the Chicago Bears, on Sunday. However, JJ McCarthy’s late comeback drive wasn’t enough as Chicago managed to find a way to win, nailing a game-winning field goal to leave Minnesota with a 19-17 victory.
McCarthy finished with 16-of-32 completions for 150 passing yards and a touchdown. However, the Bears also picked him off twice, including one by league-leader Kevin Byard III, who returned it 23 yards to assist his team’s field position. Those key takeaways may have been the game’s major difference maker.
During the matchup, the Vikings’ young QB targeted his star receiver Justin Jefferson nine times, with the Pro Bowler hauling in nine receptions for 61 yards. On the opposing side, Caleb Williams eluded defenders multiple times. While the Bears quarterback took two sacks for a loss of 13 yards, he also threw for 193 yards, making some crucial throws to his receivers when needed.
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Following the Vikings’ loss, former NFL star and Super Bowl winner Richard Sherman criticized the Vikings’ McCarthy, even suggesting the team might have performed better if it had kept a different quarterback on its roster.
“What would the Vikings offense look like if they decided to just keep Sam Darnold?” Sherman wrote on X in one of his critical messages.
He followed that message up by suggesting on X, “Justin Jefferson would probably want another QB soon.”
Sherman then reminded readers that he previously questioned whether McCarthy would be the right quarterback for Minnesota to use going forward.
“I’m old enough to remember the comments I got when I told folks I wasn’t sure if McCarthy was the answer and they let a good quarter fool them. football isn’t an exact science by any means but when your set up with one of the best play callers in football and one of the best WRs usually success can be manufactured,” the Amazon NFL analyst wrote on X, seeming to call out the QB.
While Jefferson had the most receptions and yards for the Vikings in Sunday’s game, the cameras captured him visibly frustrated during one moment of the matchup. As he exited the field for the sidelines, he took off his helmet and eventually slammed it down on a table.
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NFL legend Tom Brady, who was calling the game, reminded everyone that Jefferson is a team captain and “takes that responsibility so much,” which is why his emotions were on full display in that moment of frustration.
So far, this season hasn’t been going as well as last season did for Jefferson with Darnold. The star WR has only two touchdowns through 10 games, has eclipsed 100 yards only twice, and has three games with under 50 receiving yards.
The Vikings had Sam Darnold for one season, and he played all 17 regular-season games, leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record and a postseason appearance. He also achieved career-highs with 361 completions, 545 attempts, and 4,319 passing yards.
A 27-9 NFL Playoffs loss to the Los Angeles Rams occurred with Darnold at QB last season. As an unrestricted free agent, he signed a three-year $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks in March. The Seahawks are off to a 7-2 start under Darnold this season, while the Vikings are now 4-6 after losing to the Bears on Sunday.
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