CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears finally got a ball to bounce their way because of the so-called “spinner” that was sent off kicker Cairo Santos’ foot against the Minnesota Vikings.
“That was a kick that gave us a lot of good results at practice,” Santos said. “Just how the ball spins and the chance that it gives to the guys to not only get 10 yards before the ball spins itself past the 10-yard line, but also like it happened, it just creates that scrum in the middle.”
Santos’ onside kick ricocheted off the right leg of Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt. It was a free ball — and an overdue and rare break for the Bears over the last month.
Safety Tarvarius Moore fought off Vikings safety Camryn Bynum for possession at Chicago’s 43. On the next play, quarterback Caleb Williams fired a 27-yard completion to get the Bears in field goal range.
Bears recover the onside kick!
📺: #MINvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/3JVpREri2f— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
When Santos made his 48-yard field goal to send the game into overtime after having his last attempt blocked, everything — the game’s momentum, the bounces, the luck, the spirit of the darn thing, the football gods — appeared to be finally on the Bears’ side for once. They even won the coin toss to take the ball first in overtime.
It just wasn’t meant to be. You get the feeling that it just won’t be for the Bears. It’s been that type of year for coach Matt Eberflus’ team. The Bears unofficially lead the NFL in heartbreaking ways to lose games this season. Their five-game losing streak started with the Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders, included the Green Bay Packers’ blocked field goal as time expired last week and then continued with a 30-27 loss in overtime against the Vikings at Soldier Field on Sunday.
The Bears believe they’re better than their 4-7 record shows. But this is what happens to teams that feel down on their luck and have a head coach now squarely on the hot seat.
Receiver DJ Moore acknowledged some bafflement that the Bears keep finding new ways to lose.
“You lose like on a Hail Mary tip, and then stuff like that, it’s like we just weren’t doing the right things to win at that moment,” he said.
Williams had an outstanding day against the Vikings defense, one of the best in the league. He was 32-for-47 for 340 yards and two touchdowns, including one to receiver Keenan Allen with 22 seconds remaining in regulation. Opposing QBs were averaging a 79.4 passer rating against the Vikings defense heading into Sunday; Williams had a 103.1.
“It’s a tough loss just because you get the ball in overtime — you don’t go and seal the deal,” Williams said. “I like to pride myself on two minutes. … I like to pride myself on being able to provide efficient drives. That’s not what happened today.”
Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard sacked Williams for a 12-yard loss on the Bears’ second play in overtime. The Bears’ pass concept was run to the right, but “they dropped a bunch of guys out knowing that we had to get a good chunk play,” Williams said.
He briefly looked to his left for what appeared to be a potential checkdown, but running back D’Andre Swift was still engaged as a blocker.
“I held the ball too long,” Williams said. “They made a great play. I should have just thrown the ball out of bounds, live to fight another down, another play and it’s not what happened.”
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed six passes in overtime, none bigger than his 13-yard completion to receiver Jordan Addison in front of safety Kevin Byard on third-and-10 from Minnesota’s 21. His final pass was a gain of 29 yards down to the Bears’ 9 to tight end T.J. Hockenson. Two plays later, Vikings kicker Parker Romo made the game-winning field from 29 yards out.
“I just kept saying, ‘Just one time, please,’” tight end Cole Kmet said. “And, yeah, we got it. Obviously, we didn’t do enough offensively there when we first got the ball (in overtime). You never want to put it in their hands at the end of the game. Just unfortunate, but again proud of the way … we fought today.
“The result’s the result. It hurts. We’ve had quite a bit of heartbreaking games now. I don’t think we’re a bad team by any means. It’s just unfortunate the way the three games I can think of have kind of gone the way they’ve gone.”
Similar to the Packers’ game-winning block last week, Vikings defensive lineman Jerry Tillery got his hand on Santos’ 48-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter. It came after Allen appeared to make a leaping 24-yard catch down to the Vikings’ 6. But Minnesota challenged it. Allen’s toe was just out of bounds.
It’s apparent that teams have a read on what the Bears and Santos do on his longer field goals. The Vikings overloaded the left side of the Bears’ line against Santos and got pressure.
“I think it was the penetration with the trajectory of the ball,” Santos said. “Had the ball started four inches to the right of both those guys’ hands, I think it still goes in through the uprights and we’re sitting here with two wins. So I think it’s just kind of how you get got, but we responded in a positive way today.”
The problem is that the Bears have to keep responding in such ways. Returner D’Andre Carter muffed a punt late in the third quarter that outside linebacker Bo Richter recovered at the Bears’ 15.
.@Borichterr jumps on the loose ball!
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/0ExC9QahCq
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 24, 2024
“Yeah, that’s on me,” Carter said. “I’ve got to be better. I tried to call a ‘Peter’ call. Got to get out of the way of the ball. That’s on me. I let the team down today. Game shouldn’t have been in the situation it was in.”
Running back Aaron Jones scored on a 2-yard run five plays later for a 24-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Carter partially redeemed himself with a 55-yard return to Minnesota’s 40 in the final two minutes of regulation.
The Vikings just did more to win ugly, though.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was flagged twice for pass interference against receiver Justin Jefferson. Williams misheard offensive coordinator Thomas Brown’s play call on a fourth-and-4 early in the third quarter leading to an incorrect and rushed play that resulted in an incompletion to Allen. Santos also briefly ran onto the field, resulting in more confusion.
“I got to do a better job communicating to the field goal team,” Eberflus said.
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Vikings backup Nick Mullens, on the other hand, converted a third-and-13 on Minnesota’s 27 in the fourth quarter by hitting Jones on a crossing route after replacing Darnold, who briefly left the game for two plays.
“In this game, you got to do right longer,” Byard said. “When you talk about these close games, the teams that do right longer tend to win the game. And clearly in most of these games that are being lost towards the end, their team is just making more plays than we are towards the end of the game. That’s kind of how this thing goes in the league.”
The Bears are only good enough to scare their division rivals right now. They still have to prove they can beat them under Eberflus — and time is running out for him this season.
“We’re losing in the most unreal situations,” Moore said. “Now it’s like the luck has got to go in our favor at some point. Hopefully, it’s starting on Thanksgiving (against the Detroit Lions), and we have a nice meal coming back.”
(Photo of Tarvarius Moore, 30, recovering onside kick: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
