When the Bears opened their season against the Vikings in Week 1, they got out to a strong lead highlighted by a strong defensive performance, only for Minnesota to inch their way back into the game and
win. The Week 11 game was eerily similar, even down to the last-minute lead that the Vikings took over. This time, though, the Bears got down the field to respond back with a last-second field goal, winning 19-17 to improve to 7-3.
Chicago got out to a 16-3 lead to begin the fourth quarter, but two touchdown drives led by J.J. McCarthy put the Vikings back into a lead. A stellar kick return by Devin Duvernay put the Bears into great field position to start their final drive. In the end, the game came down to the leg of Cairo Santos, and he delivered from 48 yards out. Here are some of the takeaways from the game.
Settling for field goals
Cairo Santos attempted four field goals on Sunday, hitting three of them. Being able to put points on the board helps, but as made apparent by the fact that the game was close in the fourth quarter, settling for a field goal isn’t always the move. Santos’ last two field goals both came in 4th-and-3 situations, and he missed the second of the two. It’s nice to get points, but one can only wonder what would’ve happened if they were a little more aggressive on fourth down. Maybe they could’ve converted and put the game away.
Turnovers galore from the defense
The Bears’ defense took advantage of J.J. McCarthy’s rocky play, intercepting him twice on Sunday and deflecting three of his passes. Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright picked up their fifth and fourth interceptions of the season, respectively, which speaks to how well Chicago has created turnover opportunities in 2025. In a game where the offense couldn’t always get the job done, the defense’s ability to get the ball back kept them in control for much of the afternoon.
Can’t we just have a normal one for once
I write these postgame recaps over the course of the game, and in an ideal world, I’ll get to go in-depth with some more topics as one team gets out to a lead (preferably the Bears). But as these games all go down to the wire, I’m at a loss with things to say until we see how the ending plays out. Let’s just say I’m incredibly happy Chicago won this game, and even though it put all of Chicagoland’s heart rate in jeopardy, the Bears are now 7-3. That’s something to feel good about, even in an ugly win.
