J.J. McCarthy looked like a Viking in his NFL debut at Chicago on Monday Night Football.

A stone's throw from his childhood home in La Grange Park, Illinois, the 22-year-old team captain embraced adversity like a veteran, forgetting a pick six and ineffective introductory half to lead Minnesota to a slim win over Da Bears, with a pair of passing touchdowns and another with his legs on a read-option play.

In doing so, McCarthy became the first debuting quarterback since Cam Newton to record that exact assortment of scoring plays. McCarthy did it all in the fourth quarter, ignited by a vengeful Viking spirit.

He became the first player in NFL history with two 10-plus yard passing touchdowns and a 10-yard rushing TD in the fourth quarter of a game.

The final picture of him was worth a million words: dark paint smeared across his face, and blue field paint remnants and grass stains shading his white jersey, a memento from his full-circle fight in front of family and friends.

McCarthy looked like a Viking all right; a leader willing to sacrifice.

In honor of McCarthy's first regular-season snaps, first inspiring comeback and first true confirmation of being NFL ready, here's a roundup of nine internet reactions related to No. 9.

Uncanny resiliency: McCarthy lamented not one, but two pick sixes that he threw on New Year's Eve 2022 in the College Football Playoff Semifinals against TCU. His "next play" mindset is not just for show.

Poise is contagious: Check out the postgame locker-room vibes too. McCarthy's leadership eclipses his age in ways that don't make sense, don't seem believable. Yet he continually demonstrates he has "it."

The more you know: Cold-blooded. Composed. Competitive. Alligator blood is not a crazy take at all.

'He is different': A 1-minute, 47-second breakdown of the stakes and McCarthy's play hits the spot.

Those close to him know: Whether it was Jim Harbaugh, his college coach, or Kevin O'Connell (both former quarterbacks, by the way) the praise for McCarthy has been significant and not hyperbole, coming from the individuals with the tightest relationships to him, at every step of his football journey.

Scouting report: Is 'heart' measurable? What about 'poise'? And the ability to breed confidence in the people around you? McCarthy did not waver when the going got toughest – and neither did his support.

Winner's mentality: The win-loss record is nutty, but likely unsustainable. His approach, how he meets the moment, how he strives for improvement and stays focused on the details can be replicated, though.

A perfect score: With many areas to improve, McCarthy weathered the storm. That's what counts.

Apology noted: Does this count as "sorry"? Colin Cowherd, fairly or not, has been hyper-critical of McCarthy since he was drafted 10^th overall. It's nice to put opinions aside and look at the QB objectively.

PFF grades for Game 1

Don't take it as gospel, but as signs that bode well.

Pro Football Focus assessed RT Brian O'Neill, C Ryan Kelly and LG Donovan Jackson as the Vikings top-three offensive players Monday night. In order, they earned 83.2, 76.4 and 74.3 offensive grades.

O'Neill was proficient in run- and pass-blocking, receiving respective marks of 81.7 and 80.9. The former fared best on the team, and the latter was second to Jackson, whose greatest skill out of Ohio State was his power and strength as a road paver. The rookie performed exceptionally in pass pro, not allowing a single pressure on 25 chances. His 88.1 pass-blocking grade tied for first among all NFL guards in Week 1.

Kelly, starting his 10^th season and first in different threads after nine anchoring the Colts line, battled through a visit to the medical tent and tallied rush-springing and pass-protecting grades of 74.5 and 78.8.

The next highest-graded players on Minnesota's offense were running backs Jordan Mason (72.3) and Aaron Jones, Sr. (68.1). They worked in tandem, with Mason eschewing the clock and fatiguing the defense in the final frame on rushes and Jones catching the second of McCarthy's two touchdown passes.

McCarthy generated a 63.3 overall grade courtesy pass and run values of 61.0 and 71.9. His pick six registered as his only "turnover worthy" throw, per PFF, and his 65 percent clip included a pair of drops.

On the defensive side, starters Joshua Metellus (75.6), Jonathan Greenard (65.9) and Andrew Van Ginkel (65.1) reaped the top grades. Greenard and two-time Pro Bowl addition Javon Hargrave paced the group with seven pressures – both players hurried Caleb Williams five times, and Greenard had two hits on him. Hargrave got Williams to the ground twice for Minnesota's first two sacks of 2025. Fellow arrival Jonathan Allen, also a two-time Pro Bowl selection, logged six pressures. Hargrave's and Allen's pressures ranked tied for first and tied for third in the league in Week 1 among interior defensive linemen. Their 13 combined pressures is more than halfway home to 2024 inside starters – Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard – who had 21 all season.

Other standouts based on PFF's grading system include third-year safety Jay Ward, who finished with a highwater defensive grade of 77.1 on 25 snaps and a fantastic special teams grade of 80.4, participating on kickoff return, kickoff, punt return and field goal block units. "Energy guy" Eric Wilson flashed on defense, filling in for injured green dot linebacker Blake Cashman and posting a terrific 90.0 run-defense grade. Wilson also was the special teams leader, with two tackles and a punt deflection, for a 90.3 score.

Pro Football Focus is not an end-all, be-all evaluation of the game, but it does offer a unique vantage point that goes beyond the box score and can help astutely judge how well, or not, players performed.

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