The first week of football for the 2025 NFL season is in the books. Thanks to some incredible matchups across the league, fans were treated to a plethora of barnburners and a few instant classics. The nighttime games, in particular, lived up to their billing, with all four games coming down to one score.
The finale for the week came in the form of an 11-point comeback victory for the Minnesota Vikings, led by first-time starter J.J. McCarthy. In a matchup of two first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 Draft, Minnesota was able to come away with the win.
The Chicago Bears, playing in their first game under new HC Ben Johnson, could not get it done, squandering a golden opportunity in the fourth quarter. However, the game’s biggest story was McCarthy, who is developing quite a surreal reputation, not just in the NFL, but in football as a whole.
Will Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Ever Lose?
That question, at face value, sounds like a ridiculous proposition. Of course, McCarthy will suffer defeats in his career. He was well on his way to a brutal first game on Monday, with 19 yards in the first half.
However, his innate ability to win was the biggest intangible for the Michigan Wolverines product coming into the league. Despite an outright terrible showing through three quarters, including giving up a pick-six, he came alive in the fourth period.
His overall stat line left much to be desired, as he finished with 143 yards through the air and 25 yards on the ground. However, the three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) allowed him to make history.
J.J. MCCARTHY USES HIS FEET TO PUT MINNESOTA UP TWO SCORES 😤 pic.twitter.com/0Tex1Rp7IK
— ESPN (@espn) September 9, 2025
It was the first time that a quarterback registered three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of their NFL debut. Additionally, McCarthy became the first quarterback since Steve Young to lead a 10-point comeback in the final 15 minutes of his debut.
MORE: ‘J.J. McCarthy Is Awful’ — NFL Fans React As Vikings QB Struggles Early vs. Bears on MNF
It immediately solidified his credentials and made him a fan favourite across Minnesota. However, it also reinforced what continues to be an absolutely bizarre stat. Clayton Sefie of The Wolverine brought it to attention on X.
J.J. McCarthy hasn’t lost a regular-season game as a starter since October 26, 2019, a 72-36 Nazareth Academy setback to Benet Academy.
That was 2,144 days ago.
In high school, college and NFL, J.J. McCarthy is 64-3 as a starter. pic.twitter.com/JRD3Y9Bcht
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) September 9, 2025
“J.J. McCarthy hasn’t lost a regular-season game as a starter since October 26, 2019, a 72-36 Nazareth Academy setback to Benet Academy,” he wrote. “That was 2,144 days ago. In high school, college, and the NFL, J.J. McCarthy is 64-3 as a starter.”
At the collegiate level, it was easy to point to the brilliance of the Michigan roster under Jim Harbaugh as a coach. But in his first start, McCarthy proved to be the difference maker.
The road, unfortunately, is only going to get harder for him and the Vikings as they await a Week 2 clash against the Atlanta Falcons, who are coming off a heartbreaking loss of their own. He will once again be paired up against a quarterback from his draft class. Can he go up 2-0 and continue his streak?
