"You are going to bring us back to win this game," O'Connell said he told McCarthy.

McCarthy did just that in the fourth quarter, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another, and the Minnesota Vikings rallied for a season-opening 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

Chicago's Caleb Williams had his first career rushing touchdown and threw for a score in Ben Johnson's debut as the Bears' coach.

McCarthy delivered down the stretch after struggling through the first three quarters in his first meaningful game since Michigan beat Washington for the national championship at the end of the 2023 season. He sat out last year due to a knee injury after the Vikings drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick.