Week 1 · 2025–26 season
Vikings
W 27-24 at Bears · Sep 8, 2025
Misery Index · Euphoric
Vikings fans cashing in their J.McCarthy doubts for blank-check declarations after erasing the pick-six in Chicago.
The emotional rollercoaster
Fan misery across the game window. Up is worse.
What happened
J.McCarthy's debut nearly cratered when N.Wright took a short throw to J.Jefferson 74 yards the other way, and for a stretch the building felt familiar in all the wrong ways. Then came the answer: a 27-yard strike to A.Jones, the two-point hookup with A.Thielen, a 13-yard touchdown to J.Jefferson, and McCarthy's own 14-yard keeper to ice it. Resilience in Week 1 is intoxicating, but it's also a habit this fanbase hasn't earned the right to expect yet.
What fans said
“I’m so stoked on this team. Amazing resiliency.”
u/hjugm▲ 765joy
“My mood from the pick 6 to the blocked punt was complete night and day, and to cap it off with the JJ TD run… just wow.”
u/friendswithbillw▲ 468joy
“Sign him for 20 years—blank check.”
u/Ladle19▲ 165joy
“Incredible. Champagne all around. Will Reichard gets two chocolate milks tonight.”
u/TreeAgenda▲ 282joy
“I found there was, within me, an invincible “we’re so back””
u/TheRealGEQBUS▲ 1394hope
“4th Q: MCCARTHY IS THE GOAT FLORES IS MY DADDY WE'RE GONNA WIN THE DIVISION”
u/infernocobbs▲ 119joy
14 more
“I've seen enough, we're winning the whole fucking thing”
u/irishace88▲ 92joy
“I would like to formally apologize for all the doubt I expressed towards future Super Bowl winning QB JJ McCarthy”
u/SirBilliam3▲ 249hope
“Unbelievable right? I can't imagine how jj could have got my more hyped to have him as our qb”
u/Clean_Gas2558▲ 104joy
“JJ to JJ for first career TD. I’m sold man. He’s a baller”
u/sugypop▲ 46joy
“If you don’t love that you don’t love Vikings football”
u/gondolli▲ 226pride
“NEVER DOUBTED US FOR A SECOND FUCK THE DOOMERS VIKINGS 1-0 LFG”
u/cinnasota▲ 30joy
“Shoutout Eric Wilson, came in for an injured Blake Cashman and came up with a few big plays and changed the energy”
u/FootballInTheWhip▲ 140pride
“They had to stamp out all optimism before they could start playing well. It's the Vikings way.”
u/Cheap-Technician-482▲ 136frustration
“Dude was electric. Critical to the comeback tonight.”
u/biggieBpimpin▲ 37joy
“LFG!!!”
u/CuriousMindNebula▲ 29joy
“This picture goes hard AF”
u/IntrepidTie2298▲ 30joy
“A win at Soldier Field is always great even if was DOOM for the first 3 quarters”
u/The_Only_Abe▲ 46joy
“With such a young QB in their debut start, that's massive! Huge respect there.”
u/EDaniels21▲ 46pride
“1st NFL player to account for 3 TD in 4th quarter of debut. LFGGGGG JJ”
u/tottspot▲ 18joy