(670 The Score) On the day after Christmas, a man named Nick making his only appearance this year forged through the snow for the Bears and their fans who had waited far too long for something magical to happen.
And good ol’ Nick Foles delivered.
Foles gifted the Bears a last-minute 25-24 victory over the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle by rallying his team from a 10-point deficit with 3:32 left in the third quarter. On the play that mattered most, Foles put the ball precisely where it needed to be on third-and-14 from the Seahawks’ 15-yard line, hitting 6-foot-7-inch Bears tight end Jimmy Graham in a mismatch over 5-foot-10 Seahawks cornerback John Reid to make it 24-23.
Beleaguered Bears coach Matt Nagy never hesitated in his decision to attempt the two-point conversion and go for the win, a no-brainer for the leader of a 10-loss team who’s still likely to be fired. Nagy’s moxie that had gone missing in recent weeks suddenly returned: "Be You." His bold decision paid off when receiver Damiere Byrd made a leaping grab and came down in bounds to supply a fun highlight in a frustrating season.
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Keep in mind that beating a bad Seahawks team affected the present, making the Bears’ flight home seem faster, but nothing about the future of the organization changed. All that changed about Nagy was his mood. The Bears won a football game, but they didn’t necessarily save anybody’s job. So, rejoice in the temporary reprieve for Nagy but realize enough familiar inconsistency occurred to expect a return to reality soon enough for everyone.
There will be an appropriate time to explain why general manager Ryan Pace needs to follow Nagy out the door and a time to discuss whether the Bears should take advantage of the NFL’s new rule that allows head coaching candidates to interview beginning Tuesday.
But that time isn’t now.
Now – because the Bears hadn’t beaten anybody since Thanksgiving and Foles hadn’t started a game in 405 days – the big picture can wait until after we zoom in on some entertaining details. Now, it's worth dwelling momentarily on an entertaining end to an otherwise excruciating football game played in snowy conditions more common in Chicago than Seattle.
Foles was the best quarterback on the field Sunday, something not often said when the Seahawks and Russell Wilson play. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown for a 98.5 passer rating – a mark higher than any that rookie Justin Fields has posted in his first 10 NFL starts. Fields injured his ankle last Monday, and the Bears named Foles their starter Friday, giving him at least 48 hours to prepare. The Bears need Fields to return as soon as possible because every snap counts for his development, even if Foles helped the offense function more efficiently.
Mockingly referred to as the best third-string quarterback in the NFL, Foles persevered during an arduous season and stayed prepared for moments like Sunday’s.
“I was the third-string quarterback tonight," Foles said. “That’s my label, but at the end of the day, that’s not who I am. I’m Nick Foles … I’m grateful for my teammates for being there for me."
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Oh, Foles showed the rust expected of a guy who hadn’t started a game since Nov. 16, 2020. On a critical fourth-and-4 late in the fourth quarter, for example, Foles started to run before lofting a prayer to Damien Williams that he had no chance of completing. But the experience Foles had staging comebacks gave him confidence, and the offense fed off that when the Bears got the ball back down 24-17 with 2:54 left.
“Nick’s always going to be prepared," Nagy said. “He’s been there, done that in a lot of different ways."
Patiently, Foles took what the Seahawks gave him on the final drive, hitting Darnell Mooney for 30 yards, then David Montgomery for 10. A sack and fumble recovered by right tackle Germain Ifedi never fazed him. That appeared to be the furthest thing from Foles’ mind when he hit Graham for the clutch score two snaps later.
It almost was a dramatic enough of an ending to forget how the game went up to that point.
Almost.
The Bears' chronic problems in the red zone remain unsolved. With frustrating familiarity, the Bears marched 71 yards on 15 plays on their second offensive series only to come away empty-handed – a 71-yard drive to nowhere. On fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Foles completed a pass to Montgomery at the 2 with two defenders closing hard. Blame the execution if you must, but the awareness was just as bad.
The Bears’ lone scoring drive in the first half started at the 15-yard line, courtesy of a 28-yard punt return by rookie Dazz Newsome, who also caught his first NFL pass, a 10-yarder from Foles. But from any milestones by rookies to the snow-globe memories created by veterans, this game was more about posterity than progress.
For reasons that made little sense, rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. didn’t start despite a promising, fundamentally sound performance in his NFL debut against the Vikings last Monday. Graham came in on the second series and the Seahawks noticed, exploiting a mismatch.
On third-and-5, catching the Bears in a blitz that forced man coverage, Seahawks freakishly gifted receiver DK Metcalf beat Graham at the line of scrimmage and used his sprinter’s speed to separate. Wilson put the ball on the money for a 41-yard touchdown pass that served as an education for Graham. Graham’s technique surely needs to improve, as that play attested, but first-year defensive coordinator Sean Desai also needs to learn from asking a rookie to cover one of the league’s most explosive receivers on third down with no help.
Another lapse came at the end of the first half. The Seahawks appeared content to let the clock run out before the Bears punted, but ineptitude by the defense made them rethink that approach. With 47 seconds left at midfield, Wilson found tight end Gerald Everett all alone for a 26-yard gain that helped set up Jason Myers’ 36-yard field goal.
In the second half, Bears rookie running back Khalil Herbert closed the gap with a 20-yard touchdown run off left tackle that made it 17-14 after the extra point. On the touchdown play, Larry Borom – inexplicably benched at right tackle for the veteran Ifedi but pressed into duty on the left side for the injured Teven Jenkins – and left guard Cody Whitehair opened up a gaping hole for Herbert. The Bears closed a 10-play, 82-yard drive with authority.
Too easily, the Seahawks responded.
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny ran roughshod up the middle of the defense for a 32-yard gain. Two snaps later, Wilson’s play-action fake froze the safeties just long enough for Everett to find the hole between free safety Eddie Jackson and cornerback Kindle Vildor where he caught a perfectly placed 24-yard touchdown pass. Jackson’s immediate palms-up reaction to the score suggested a communication breakdown led to another coverage lapse.
Once again, Pro Bowl pass rusher Robert Quinn bailed the Bears out. Quinn came up with a key third-down sack that turned out to be worth three points. With Seattle facing a third-and-4 at Chicago's 8-yard line in the middle of the fourth quarter, Quinn chased down Wilson for his 17th sack of the season – leaving him one sack away from setting the Bears' single-season record – and the 13-yard loss went a long way toward Myers missing a 39-yard field-goal attempt.
The difference between the Seahawks taking a 27-17 lead with 7:23 left and keeping the separation at seven points might be the difference between the Bears changing coaches Monday or waiting until the end of the season as many expect. On Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network offered the latest confirmation of Nagy’s imminent firing in a pregame report when he said of the Bears, “News could be coming Monday if, in fact, they lose."
But the Bears found a way to win, playing hard for a coach who gave an impassioned speech Saturday night. According to accounts shared by Montgomery and Nagy himself, the Zen-like message revolved around “emptying your cup." Nagy revealed he got the idea from his oldest son during their drive home from Soldier Field last Monday night.
“If we all empty our cups, then we’ll have a damn good chance to win a football game," Nagy said of what he told his players.
By winning a football game, the Bears showed Nagy they still were listening despite the lost season.
“Everybody has this bad depiction of who he is," Montgomery said. “He’s an amazing coach and even better person."
He’s still likely to lose his job next month. But for one memorable night, Nagy could enjoy the spirit of the season.
David Haugh is the co-host of the Mully & Haugh Show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on 670 The Score. Click here to listen. Follow him on Twitter @DavidHaugh.