Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 9.09.25
Lynx at Fever tonight on ESPN in penultimate regular season game.
Be back Friday.
McCarthy Wows in 4th Quarter of 27-24 Win
J.J. McCarthy went from a quarterback who’s played two pre-season quarters of football in 18 months, to a bonafide Vikings QB1 of the future in about an hour.
The Vikings trailed by 11 early in the fourth quarter, but McCarthy connected on big plays to Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones and ran for a touchdown himself in a 27-24 season-opening, Monday Night Football win over the Bears at Soldier Field.
The Vikings were going nowhere fast. Sans injured Christian Darrisaw, McCarthy didn’t have much time in the pocket in the first three quarters. With the NFL’s three-game pre-season, McCarthy played just one quarter - and no competitive football since January 2024, and iit showed. At one point, he telegraphed a pass so bad to Jefferson that Nashon Wright, who couldn’t get off the Vikings’ practice squad last year, easily returned it for a TD.
But after a Bears penalty pushed them out of field goal position with a 17-6 lead late in the third quarter, McCarthy and the Vikings’ offense came to life. Kevin O’Connell sure looked a little hesitant to take the training wheels off early, but he had no choice in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings didn’t manage a third-down conversion until a J.J. to J.J. touchdown early in the third quarter to bring them within 17-12. Jones lookedl iike a guy about to lose the RB1 job to Jordan Mason most of the night, but he caught another McCarthy score. McCarthy made it 27-17 - a touchdown they wound up needing - when he ran for 14 yards with less than three minutes left.
McCarthy became the first quarterback making his NFL debut to rally from 10 or more points down in the fourth quarter since a guy named Steve Young in 1985. No one had done it on the road since 1950. The Vikings scored 21 points in a single quarter at Soldier Field for the first time in history.
No one is going to confuse the 2025 Bears for the 1985 Bears, but Caleb Williams and his offense threatened to blow the doors off the place in the first half. I’m a little concerned about the Vikings defense. They need Harrison Smith (personal illness) back. Byron Murphy, Jr., looked either hurt or just unwilling to make a play. He had a chance to stop a Williams’ rushing TD in the first quarter but didn’t make a full hit, and he seemed a couple steps behind receivers all night.
The Vikings play their home opener in a Sunday night game against Atlanta this weekend. The Falcons lost their opener to the Bucs, 23-20.
Twins Beat Up Angels 12-3
It was a perfect night in Minnesota sports, as the Twins pounded the Angels 12-3 late last night in Anaheim.
Minnesota trailed 3-2 early but scored 10 unanswered runs, including two homers from Royce Lewis. His batting average has climbed to .237 - not great but an improvement.
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