Football
the J.J. McCarthy era after 90 minutes of football.Richard Sherman trashed the Vikings for no good reason, leaving fans puzzled during MNF. In the end, purple fans got the last laugh.
Mind-bogglingly, while live-tweeting his observations of the game, the future Hall of Famer skewered the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason decision-making, insinuating the club should’ve kept quarterback Sam Darnold, who now plays for Sherman’s old team, the Seattle Seahawks.
Naturally, the tweet aged horribly.
Football A Ruthless Tweet Courtesy of Richard Sherman about the Vikings
In the end, the man got it wrong.
 during a game between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images.</p><p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=750,height=422,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/USATSI_11228815.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1024,height=683,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/USATSI_11228815.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=750,height=422,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/USATSI_11228815.jpg” alt=”Richard Sherman lines up during the 49ers’ game against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.”><figcaption>San Francisco 49ers cornerback R. Sherman (25) was in action on Sep. 9, 2018, during a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The veteran defender lined up in coverage as the 49ers opened their regular season on the road. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure></div><h3>Richard Sherman Claims J.J. McCarthy Is “Not the Answer” after 90 Minutes</h3><p>McCarthy and the Vikings struggled tremendously out of the gate on <em>Monday Night Football</em>, prompting Sherman to declare that the franchise had made a major mistake.</p><p>“Not sure JJ McCarthy is the Answer in Minnesota. This is the danger of letting the guy who you had success with walk for a guy you ‘think’ can do the job at a high level,” <a href=)
Sherman tweeted to his 1.9 million followers.The tweet turned heads because of its heat-of-the-moment flavor.
A Mind-Boggling Time to Cast Judgment
A quarterback cannot be judged in an hour and a half, especially during his first-ever start. In fact, McCarthy’s woes should’ve been expected after not playing much in the preseason and performing in a hostile environment, also known as Soldier Field.
Many NFL and Vikings fans had to do a double-take to make sure the Sherman tweet wasn’t from a troll account on social media — it was that bombastic.
Sherman, of all people, should know a rookie quarterback is almost destined to start slow in his inaugural game.
The tweet also hinted that Minnesota blundered by letting Sam Darnold leave in free agency. On Sunday, Darnold lost his team the game because of a game-ending fumble in the redzone. And that was after the man utterly collapsed when Minnesota needed him the most in 2024.
McCarthy Later Delivered the Goods
While it was fair to raise an eyebrow regarding McCarthy’s first-half showing at Chicago, the man barnstormed the 4th Quarter, banking 3 touchdowns and a memorable comeback that no Vikings fans will ever forget.
 reacts after defeating the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images</p><p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/USATSI_27037084_168394844_lowres.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=786,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/USATSI_27037084_168394844_lowres.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/USATSI_27037084_168394844_lowres.jpg” alt=”J.J. McCarthy reacts after leading the Vikings to a win over the Bears at Soldier Field.” ><figcaption>Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) reacted after defeating the Chicago Bears on Sep. 8, 2025, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The rookie celebrated the divisional road win with visible emotion following his debut performance against Minnesota’s NFC North rival. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure></div><p>His team won by three points, and McCarthy later won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award, making Sherman’s tweet look absolutely foolish and outlandishly prisoner of the moment.</p><h3>A Backtrack?</h3><p>Sherman did his best to backtrack after Minnesota prevailed, using a guise of “I love football” to absolve his bizarre rush to judgment.</p><p>“I love football. Bad Start by McCarthy solid start By Caleb. Then a total flip in the 2nd half and by the QBs and McCarthy brings the Vikings back. Fun start to the season. New story every week,” <a href=)
he posted to X after Minnesota won.
Tom Schreier opined on McCarthy’s debut this week: ‘At one point, the Vikings were zero for eight on third down. They didn’t convert a third down until scoring their first touchdown to make it 17-12 in the fourth quarter.”“Still, McCarthy said he was in the huddle on the previous drive when he told his teammates, ‘Where else would you rather be?’ The Vikings might as well have been 20,000 leagues under the sea at that point. They had to be experiencing the kind of pressure that gives you the bends. They were rapidly descending into Lake Michigan like an unstable cruise liner. How would they resurface? It looked like the kind of loss that could sink a season.”
McCarthy and the Vikings will next face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
 before the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images</p><p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/J.J.-McCarthy-7.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=634,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/J.J.-McCarthy-7.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/J.J.-McCarthy-7.jpg” alt=”J.J. McCarthy on the field before the Vikings’ preseason game against the Texans.”><figcaption>Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) was photographed before the preseason game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 9, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The second-year quarterback went through pregame preparations with teammates on the field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure></div><p>Schreier continued, “Still, McCarthy promised to be present at Soldier Field. Take things one snap at a time, one throw at a time. Let the past go, don’t focus too much on the future. McCarthy locked into the present and found the perfect thing to say at the perfect time. O’Connell said he told McCarthy at halftime that McCarthy would win the Vikings this game.”</p><p>“McCarthy believed him and became the first quarterback in league history to account for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut. McCarthy was sitting 25 leagues under the sea, with enough pressure to shrink his 6’3″, 200 lbs. frame. He smiled and told his teammates to enjoy the moment, and then took them to the surface.”</p><p>By late Sunday night, the whole world had done a 180 on McCarthy.</p><hr></section><p></main></p></div><p><a href=)
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