Kevin O'Connell praised his Minnesota Vikings team for building "something special" after their Week 1 comeback win over the Chicago Bears.
The Vikings trailed 17-6 heading into the fourth quarter after a 76-yard interception return from Nashon Wright.
At that point, 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy's first start at quarterback appeared set to be one to forget.
However, McCarthy threw two touchdowns and rushed for another in the final period as the Vikings surged into a 27-17 lead, with Minnesota holding on to claim a 27-24 victory over their NFC North rivals despite Rome Odunze's touchdown reception just before the two-minute warning.
The fightback should do wonders for the confidence of McCarthy, who missed the entirety of his rookie season with a torn meniscus.
And, while O'Connell would ideally like more routine victories going forward, the Vikings head coach believes the turnaround revealed a lot about the mentality of his team and his quarterback.
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Vikings 'made of the right stuff'
Speaking in his postgame press conference after the Monday Night Football thriller, O'Connell said: "There’s no way to deny that we don’t win this game unless J.J. plays the way he did in the second half, and, most importantly, kept the belief of his football team behind him.
"And now we know it’s possible. We hope to not be in these circumstances very often, but this team’s made of the right stuff.
"Players have built something special within that locker room and on that sideline. I’m just very, very proud of them."
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McCarthy went 13 of 20 for just 143 yards passing along with his two scores, with his struggles in the first half indicating that, despite the comeback, the Vikings quarterback still has a long way to go if he is to realise the potential O'Connell and Minnesota believe he possesses.
The Vikings host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, with McCarthy going against another member of the 2024 quarterback class, Michael Penix Jr.
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