Justin Jefferson started to do the Griddy only to have his would-be touchdown overturned by a penalty just a couple of players before McCarthy scored.

QB J.J. McCarthy threw for a career-high 250 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score as the Vikings beat the Cowboys 34-26 on Sunday night.

McCarthy, Minnesota’s 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been a revelation for the Vikings this season. In seven games played thus far, the former Michigan Wolverines star has completed 102-of-182 passes (56.0%) for 1,092 yards and nine touchdowns. He also has 29 carries for 139 yards and two rushing TDs.

J.J. McCarthy's 1-yard run on a bootleg on fourth down has tied the Vikings with the Cowboys 14-14 with 9:28 remaining until halftime.

The quarterback’s improved play in his first back-to-back NFL victories is giving reason for optimism amid a frustrating season.

- 11:14 left in the third: The Cowboys start off the second half with a lengthy drive that ends with Brandon Aubrey chipping in a 26-yard field goal to give Dallas back the lead. Luke Schoonmaker helped lead the way into Vikings territory with a 29-yard reception, the longest of his career. Cowboys 20, Vikings 17

"You cannot not like him," Collinsworth said when NBC showed a clip of McCarthy high-fiving first responders before the game. "The guy, when he walks in the room, it's like somebody opened the shades and the sunshine came in. And so everybody's cheering for him. We want it to work. We just have to see it work."