The Vikings disappointed themselves and their sometimes booing home crowd in yesterday’s closing seconds 19-17 loss to the Bears when Chicago’s Cairo Santos booted a walk-off 48-yard field goal.
Part of the fan frustration focused on Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy whose inconsistent play included an on-point performance leading the Vikings to a touchdown drive that put them ahead 17-16 with 50 seconds to play but also included completing just 50 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions.
McCarthy’s lack of accuracy was an issue all game, with balls frequently off target. About halfway through the third period he threw high on an incomplete pass to franchise wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
The boos cascaded down on the field inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
McCarthy, 22, made just his fifth NFL start yesterday. He has minimal experience in his first season as a starter and is dealing with a lot playing for a team with preseason playoff expectations. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked today if he was concerned the boos could negatively impact the confidence of the young quarterback.
O’Connell answered no and termed the disgruntlement as justified because the fans have understandable expectations for his team. “The mental toughness and the physical toughness of the player is clear and evident to everybody,” the coach said. “I understand and I think J.J. does (too), the frustration with maybe seeing Justin or (WR) Jordan (Addison) or somebody open and we don’t throw and catch that. There’s a standard we have for ourselves that I hope our fans have for us. I think all that is valid and justified. …”
O’Connell believes all the ongoing preparation work in practice can lead to better performances by his quarterback. That improvement, he said, is expected by others on the team, too.
O’Connell praised the effort and physical play of his team that is now 4-6 and plays in Green Bay Sunday against the 6-3-1 Packers, while stressing the Vikings need to be more consistent in their play. “…We’re going to keep attacking in a way that hopefully makes our fans proud of the way we’re fighting like heck to go 1-0 every week,” O’Connell said.
Worth Noting
Here is an intriguing stat from local sports talk host Phil Mackey writing on X yesterday: With McCarthy quarterbacking, the Vikings have called 16 pass plays on third and fourth downs in short yardage (three yards or less). The results? Zero completions.
Case Keenum, 37 and the quarterback hero of the 2017 Vikings, is the third team QB for the Bears but wasn’t activated for yesterday’s game.
Austin Booker, the Bears defensive lineman who played for the Gophers and Kansas, started at defensive end and the 2024 draft choice had one tackle and one assisted tackle in the game.
BetMGM has the Gophers as 4.5 point underdogs to Northwestern on Saturday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The stadium also hosted last Saturday’s Michigan-Northwestern game and from 1921-1970 was the Bears home facility.
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said today planning for footwear started even in the offseason for playing on grass in late November at Wrigley, the home of the baseball Cubs.
Fleck went to high school in the greater Chicago area and recalled this morning on KFAN Radio a field trip to see the Cubs when Kerry Wood tied a MLB record with 20 strikeouts in a 1998 win over the Astros.
BTW, the view here is Fleck won’t be leaving Minnesota for any of the numerous college football head coaching openings including UCLA where his name has been rumored.
The Gophers have been outscored by 125 to 19 in three Big Ten road losses to No. 1 ranked Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon and previously top 25 Iowa.
The 3-1 basketball Gophers needed overtime to defeat Green Bay by seven points Saturday night, while 3-2 St. Thomas beat the Phoenix 80-61 on Thursday in St. Paul. But the highly respected Pomeroy College Basketball ratings yesterday had Minnesota at No. 86 in the nation and the Tommies at 161.
Reliever Jhoan Duran, part of the Twins trade dump last summer, made the 2025 All-MLB team announced recently. The Phillies’ 27-year-old right-handed fast baller had a career best 32 saves.
Congratulations to ticketing executive Paul Froehle on his 40th anniversary with the Twins. Earlier in his career he worked in ticket operations for the NHL North Stars.
In this crowded marketplace and during the upcoming holiday season, it will be interesting to monitor both the attendance and the game results at the IHF World Junior Championship December 26-January 5. The 10-nation tournament showcases the best under 20-year-old hockey players in the world. The United States will play Germany in an opening game December 26 at Grand Casino Arena. A portion of the 29-game tournament schedule will also be held at 3M Arena at Mariucci. https://www.nhl.com/news/2026-world-junior-championship-schedule
The U.S. has won the WJC seven times, including three of the past five years. The Americans are two-time defending champions having won 4-3 in overtime against Finland in the 2025 gold-medal game in Ottawa, and they defeated Sweden 6-2 in 2024 at Gothenburg, Sweden.
Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne and Gophers coach Bob Motzko will speak to the Twin Cities Dunkers about the tournament on December 1.