Minnesota Vikings season debut resembled a ride at Six Flags with young QB J.J. McCarthy front and center

This was an incredibly important game for the Vikings, and we learned a lot about this team.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell talks with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half at Soldier Field.
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

This was far from an easy game for the Minnesota Vikings, but it was an important one, with it being J.J. McCarthy‘s first start. They are leaving Soldier Field with a 27-24 win, but it wasn’t easy to get.

The Vikings couldn’t do anything offensively to save their lives, and things went from bad to worse in the third quarter with a pick-six. Then, the offense turned it on and looked like what we all believed the Vikings’ offense could be this year.

Who were the biggest factors in the game on both ends of the spectrum? Let’s break it down.

Stock Up: WR Myles Price

This was far from a pretty game for the Vikings. The offense was brutal throughout the game, and it was evident that McCarthy struggled more than the rest of the offense. What looked really good was the return game.

Price earned the returner job in the final two preseason games with excellent returns on both punts and kicks. He showed why the Vikings carved out a roster spot for him on Monday night with two kick returns for 49 yards and four punt returns for 68 yards (17.0 average), including a long of 22. He was the most consistent player on the Vikings all night long, and it paid off in a big way.

Stock Neutral: QB J.J. McCarthy

There is no other way to put it: McCarthy had a bad night.

You could tell that things were moving a little too fast for him. He wasn’t necessarily rattled, but he was pressing. There was a real element of being indecisive early on, and he was firing rocket balls for every pass. That’s not too abnormal for a first-time starting quarterback, but it was somewhat unexpected for McCarthy, who is a very even-keeled person.

Ultimately, it was a rough night through the first 40 minutes. He struggled to do everything from getting the team up to the line of scrimmage to reading the defense quickly.

The good thing was McCarthy never lost confidence, and he played significantly better in the second half. After throwing a pick-six to Nahshon Wright and nearly collapsing early on, he came back and threw two impressive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take the lead, and sealed the deal with a 14-yard read option play.

Stock Up: DC Brian Flores

It may not have felt like it early on, but Brian Flores did a great job calling his defense on Monday night. They did a great job of forcing Caleb Williams to earn every single yard. To Williams’ credit, he did in the first half, but it didn’t last.

Flores made adjustments throughout the game and threw a lot of different things at Williams, forcing him to think. Plus, the pass rush was excellent throughout the night in getting in the backfield and impacting Williams. They couldn’t bring him down with any form of consistency, but that will end up correcting itself over time.

Stock Down: Ability to finish

As mentioned above, the Vikings got a LOT of pressure on Williams. It might not have felt like it at times, but that was due to his incredible maneuvering in the pocket. That was a big problem, as the Bears were able to manufacture 10 points in the first half. However, the constant pressure made an impact the longer the game went on.

Finding a way to finish was going to be very important for this defense long-term, but not every quarterback is going to have the maneuverability of Williams. Consistent pressure will create sacks, and that’s a good thing.

Stock Up: RB Jordan Mason

The Vikings knew they needed to make a major change in the running game. They were able to do that with Mason. Acquired from the San Francisco 49ers in a late-round pick swap, he was a major factor in getting the offense going.

He only ran 15 times for 68 yards in a relatively even snap share with him and Aaron Jones, but averaged more than five yards per carry before the final drive when the box was stacked with defenders. What’s important is that Mason proved his worth early and often.

Stock Down: LT Justin Skule

Without Christian Darrisaw on Monday night, Skule got the start, and it did not go well. He was getting tormented on the left side by anyone who was lined up on the other side of him. It was really tough for the Vikings to get anything going on offense because of his struggles, but they were able to mitigate it in the fourth quarter, which was huge for McCarthy’s development.

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