Bears tie game with field goal at end of 4th quarter, but lose to Vikings in OT
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — The Bears lost again Sunday.
It looked like the late-game breaks were finally bouncing the Bears' way as they took on the Minnesota Vikings. But once again, they suffered a last-second loss after rallying from 14 down in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
The Vikings left Soldier Field victorious for the fifth consecutive time, while the Bears' season-killing losing streak has stretched to five straight. The final score Sunday was 30-27 Bears.
And of course, as they say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Close or not, the Bears are now 5-18 in one-possession games under Coach Matt Eberflus, who is 14-31 in his two and a half seasons.
It was a pretty dejected Bears locker room after the game, as the Bears found yet another way to lose in really heartbreaking fashion. This time, they just couldn't come through in overtime after what really was an amazing comeback at the end of regulation.
"We're losing in the most unreal situations. It's like, all right, now it's like the luck has got to go in our favor at some point," said Bears wide receiver DJ Moore.
"Yeah, it's different. It's different for sure. I was just talking about that," said Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze. "Some of the ways that we're losing these games is just super unfortunate. So, you know, it takes a toll."
One positive is that quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense really played well on Sunday—and not just at the end of the game.
"He's definitely all what he's advertised and then some. He's a heck of a quarterback—a young player who has a bright future, crazy arm talent who can make pretty much any throws," said Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard.
Williams handled the Vikings high-pressure defense well all day, throwing for over 340 yards and two touchdowns, as the clear improvement with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown calling plays, continued.
"All the game-ops things, and that helps tremendously—because now I can get up there, I can see, I can use cadence," said Williams. "You know, he has a certain aura to him that he just allows you to play free. He knows what he wants, and you know he knows what he wants."
Williams also surpassed Mitchell Trubisky for the Bears franchise rookie record—with 2,356 passing yards (11 TD).
"I just think what Thomas has kind of brought in the past couple of weeks has been big in terms of, you know, providing good, simple answers for Caleb," said Bears tight end Cole Kmet, "and, you know, kind of getting everybody on the same page, and sure, we still have our things that we've got to work through, but I think it's been a much cleaner operation the past couple of weeks, and you know, it's a credit to Thomas and a credit to Caleb."
Williams was disappointed he couldn't come through in overtime, but it was the Bears defense that really dropped the ball. It was the big plays allowed and the third, and the long conversions, that did them in.
"Our offense was rolling today," said Bears safety Kevin Byard III. "You know, once upon a time earlier in the year, defense was playing well, offense was still figuring it out—and you know, obviously, they've been having a role in putting up points, and we're not holding up our end of the bargain, so it's frustrating."
"I've got to do a better job of there, you know, making the good calls there—and execution, we've got to do a better job," said Coach Eberflus. "But again, that was not what we wanted."
For the Vikings, Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes—and threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime. Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North.
As clock wound down, Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren't finished.
Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining.
The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
The Bears won the coin toss, but Williams was sacked for a 12-yard loss on second down, leading to a three-and-out. The Vikings took over at the 21, and Darnold led a 10-play drive, overcoming a sack and two penalties.
Darnold connected with Hockenson for a 29-yard completion that put the ball on the 9. He took a knee and then Romo nailed the winner.
For the Bears, this was yet another tough loss from which they have to try to come back. This time, they'll be doing so on a short week as they head to Thanksgiving to face the 10-1 Lions.
