Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced today.
In his NFL debut, McCarthy was 13-of-20 for 143 yards and two passing touchdowns, while adding two rushes for 25 yards and a touchdown to secure the Vikings 27-24 road victory against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. McCarthy became the first player since Cam Newton in 2011 with at least two passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown in his NFL debut.
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings orchestrated an 11-point comeback with McCarthy completing 6-of-8 passes (75%) for 87 yards, two touchdowns and a 149.5 passer rating. He is the first starting quarterback with a 10+ point fourth quarter comeback in his NFL debut since Steve Young in 1985 and the only quarterback since 1950 to do so on the road.
McCarthy becomes the 11th Viking since 1984 to win NFC Player of the Week honors in Week 1 and is just the third Vikings quarterback (Daunte Culpepper – 2004, Sam Bradford – 2017). He is the second Viking to win the honor following their NFL debut in Week 1, joining K Blair Walsh in 2012.
This award marks the 15th NFC Player of the Week award under Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell in 52 games.
