McCarthy helped spark an upset win over the Lions on Sunday. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit thinks Minnesota could go on a run with McCarthy under center.

McCarthy is not dog or wolf; his authentic state is both, and it is remarkable that he is able to both use it and articulate it at such a young age. His on-field play is very remindful of what a 22-year-old should be doing. His performance is uneven, imperfect, breathtaking in one moment and cringeworthy the next.

In a game that the Minnesota Vikings weren't expected to win, according to many, J.J. McCarthy arguably played his best game in the NFL. While the youngster only threw for 143 yards, he added two touchdowns in the air and made some big plays when it mattered most.

McCarthy’s calm demeanor disappears between the lines, replaced by an alter ego teammates swear is the real deal.

The video below is from Kevin O’Connell’s postgame speech after the Minnesota Vikings’ 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Scroll to the 2:31 mark

The scene of quarterback J.J. McCarthy being mobbed by his teammates after barging into the visitor’s locker room on Sunday afternoon at Detroit’s Ford Field perfectly encapsulates how the Vikings seem to feel about their young signal caller.

One analyst believes that J.J. McCarthy's performance against the Lions on Sunday should put the NFC North on notice.