J.J. McCarthy burst into Minnesota's locker room in Detroit last week in the afterglow of a critical victory for the Vikings, meeting his boisterously welcoming teammates with an enthusiasm and intensity that took the party for the visitors to an even higher level.

J.J. McCarthy passionately nodded his head, not blinking as he listened to his head coach's speech. As the Minnesota Vikings' second-year quarterback made his way in front of his excited teammates, he clapped his hands together and let out a roar.

Heading into their game against the Lions at Ford Field, the Vikings were coming off a disheartening blowout loss to the Chargers which saw backup quarterback Carson Wentz take a beating to the tune of five sacks and Minnesota fall to 3–4 on the season—more losses than it endured in the entire 2024 regular season.