The Minnesota Vikings dropped the Detroit Lions, who were coming out of their bye week, at Ford Field on Sunday. Following the game, quarterback JJ McCarthy had a bit of fun with his vanquished opponents.
On Monday, November 3, McCarthy took to Instagram and posted a four-word message that served as a playful jab at the Lions. “Knee caps are intact,” he captioned a series of photographs from the Vikings-Lions contest.
The quarterback’s comment was a nod to a now-infamous press conference Lions head coach Dan Campbell gave in January 2021 when he was introduced as Detroit’s new leader. Campbell said:
> “Here’s what I do know, that this team is going to take on the identity of this city. And this city’s been down, and it found a way to get up. It’s found a way to overcome adversity. So this team’s going to be built on, we’re going to kick you in the teeth, all right?
> And when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you, and when you knock us down, we’re going to get up.
> And on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.
> And we’re going to stand up, and then it’s going to take two more shots to knock us down.
> And on the way up, we’re going to take your other kneecap, and we’re going to get up, and then it’s going to take three shots to get us down.
> And when we do, we’re going to take another hunk out of you.
> Before long, we’re going to be the last one standing. That’s going to be the mentality.”
### JJ McCarthy: Hero of Vikings’ Crucial Road Win in Detroit
McCarthy has every reason to walk around with swagger after besting the Lions in Michigan—a state where the 22-year-old quarterback attended college and led the Wolverines to a national championship. He returned to the area over the weekend after missing five games (six weeks) with a high-ankle sprain.
There were considerable questions about his readiness for the NFL spotlight, especially after struggles during seven of the eight quarters he played in the team’s first two games of the 2025 season. However, McCarthy put up solid numbers against Detroit, completing 14-of-25 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed for a score and made a crucial third-down conversion on a pass to wide receiver Jalen Nailor late in the fourth quarter, sealing the three-point victory.
### Vikings Playing With New Energy, Says McCarthy
Following the game, McCarthy spoke to Tom Rinaldi of FOX Sports about a new energy in Minnesota after the Vikings’ 3-4 start to the year. This boost in spirit is something the team will desperately need, especially with the toughest schedule in the league looming over the final 10 games, including road matchups like the recent game against the Lions.
“Obviously, a lot of excitement … and I’m just so proud of the guys,” McCarthy said during the postgame interview. “We fought, we had a different energy this week, a different level of focus. But there’s a lot more we can clean up.”
He added, “We haven’t reached our potential. We haven’t even gotten close yet.”
With renewed energy and determination, the Vikings will look to build on this hard-fought win as the season progresses.
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