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In a game that the Minnesota Vikings weren’t expected to win, according to many, J.J. McCarthy arguably played his best game in the NFL. While the youngster only threw for 143 yards, he added two touchdowns in the air and made some big plays when it mattered most. More news: Tom Brady Doesn’t Hold Back on JJ McCarthy After Vikings Return It was an impressive win for the Vikings on all fronts, keeping their season alive at 4-4. Despite being in fourth place in the NFC North, the Vikings are right there in terms of the standings. There have been many concerns about McCarthy in recent months, mainly due to some of his injuries. McCarthy has been sidelined for the past few weeks, returning in Week 9. He also missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Struggling a bit in his first two starts of his career during the first two weeks of this season, he needed a big game like this to get his confidence going. When speaking to reporters after the game, despite all the questions fans and media might have, the players on the roster have trust in him, including T.J. Hockenson, who said that he plays much older than he might seem. “What a baller,” Hockenson told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. “He’s a vet through and through. You wouldn’t think it by his age, but the way he carries himself, the way he performs on Sundays, and the way he operates our offense, it shows you that.” McCarthy was very excited to secure the win, saying that the energy had been different all week in practice. More news: Vikings’ JJ McCarthy Trolls Lions, Dan Campbell After Win He also went on to state that there’s a lot to clean up, which should be a good sign of what’s to come from Minnesota moving forward. “Obviously a lot of excitement … and I’m just so proud of the guys,” McCarthy said. “We fought, we had a different energy this week, a different level of focus. But there’s a lot more we can clean up. We haven’t reached our potential. We haven’t even gotten close yet.” For more on the Vikings and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
