MINNEAPOLIS (670 The Score) – For a Bears team that has struggled mightily to close out football games, an ugly win is nothing for which to apologize.
The Bears clawed back for a 12-10 victory over the Vikings on Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. Here are the observations from the game.
Fields delivers a winning moment
After head coach Matt Eberflus announced that he had awarded the game ball to every Bears player, quarterback Justin Fields stepped into the postgame celebration.
Fields thanked his Bears teammates for standing by him after he lost a pair of fumbles in the fourth quarter that nearly cost the team its chance at victory. On the Bears’ final possession as they trailed 10-9, Fields led the offense into range for kicker Cairo Santos’ game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left. The highlight of the winning drive was Fields connecting with top receiver DJ Moore on a 36-yard completion on a critical third-and-10 play.
It proved to be the pivotal turning point in the Bears’ win.
“I really just wanted to prove to my teammates that I had their back,” Fields said.
Fields has been on the other side of games like Monday far too many times in his three-year NFL career. He’s now 7-26 as a starter in the NFL, and he hopes more winning moments lie in his future.
The 24-year-old Fields’ future in Chicago is being evaluated in the homestretch of the season. The context is that the Bears could own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which would give them the chance to replace Fields with the best quarterback prospect.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles must first assess Fields in the final games of the season with a rubric that starts with a key goal – lead the Bears to victories.
When the Bears stepped into the huddle from their own 22-yard line with 2:29 remaining in regulation, history suggested it was unlikely that Fields would direct them into the field-goal range needed for a victory. Fields had come up short in prior situations in his career.
This time, it was different.
"I've always believed in him,” Bears left guard Teven Jenkins said. “You see him day and day out being a hard worker.
“I trusted him in that drive to win that game for us."
In the key moment, Fields dropped back on a familiar play the Bears had run many times before in practice, with rookie receiver Tyler Scott drawing the attention of Vikings safety Camryn Bynum in a zone coverage over the top. Moore made a one-cut break to his left and was wide open over the middle.
Fields remained calm as he saw the route developing and connected with Moore to set up the winning field goal.
"They left me wide open,” Moore said. “I don't think that was a smart choice."
Fields was 27-of-37 for 217 yards. The Bears’ offense struggled all evening and failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season.
Following this bye week, the Bears have five games remaining in the season. They’ll perhaps be the final five games that Fields will play for Chicago.
Through 33 NFL starts for Fields, the evaluation of his play is still incomplete. But if he can lead the Bears to victories as he did Monday, he may just be able to secure his place in Chicago for another season.
Hats off to the defense
Say this much for Eberflus – he knows what he’s doing as a defensive coordinator.
The Bears defense has enjoyed a strong turnaround in recent weeks, building an identity that they hope will last for years to come. On Monday night, Chicago forced four turnovers – all were interceptions of Minnesota quarterback of Joshua Dobbs – for the second straight game.
“It’s just coming together,” Eberflus said.
The Bears have been pretty healthy in playing with a full complement on defense in recent weeks, which can be a luxury in the NFL.
On Monday, the Bears flew to the football and keyed in on Dobbs’ decisions in the pocket. They were ready to change the game.
“I just thought we did a great job of staying together as a team and finding a way to come out of here with win,” said linebacker T.J.
Edwards, who had an interception. “There was no quit. There was no way we weren't coming out of here with a win just with everything we've been through."
Santos comes through in the clutch
Before sending Santos out for the game-winning field goal in the final seconds, the Bears first needed to force the Vikings to use their final two timeouts as they also lacked any timeouts on their own side.
The Bears ran three kneel-down plays, then sent out Santos and the kicking team without the ability to stop the clock on fourth down.
Despite the pressure mounting as time ticked away, Santos remained calm.
“We work on that every week,” Santos said. “That was my first time doing it (in a game).
“We executed it.”
Santos missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter but delivered on his next four attempts, including a 55-yarder early in the fourth quarter that matched his career-long make.
When the Bears needed Santos most, he came through with a kick through the uprights.
Finally, a divisional win
Prior to Monday, the Bears’ last NFC North victory was on Nov. 25, 2021, when they earned a 16-14 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. That game was also won on a Santos field goal in the waning seconds.
The Bears had lost 12 games in a row in the division before pulling through late to beat the Vikings.
“It's very important,” Eberflus said. “Obviously, our goal was to win the division, but more importantly, I believe it's the way we finished.”
Extra points
--- Fields’ most significant improvement this season has been in how he has used his legs to set up the pass. He made many throws on the move Monday to counter the Vikings’ aggressive pressure packages, and that helped the Bears sustain drives.
--- The Bears scored just three points off the four turnovers they forced. That isn’t usually a winning formula, but they still prevailed Monday.
--- Edge rusher Montez Sweat played 71% of the Bears’ defensive snaps, his highest figure in his four games since Chicago acquired him in a trade. Sweat – who signed a four-year extension with the Bears worth up to $98 million – has been worth every penny thus far, as he has consistently generated pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He had 1.5 sacks in this win.
--- Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson once again lamented dropping what would’ve been a pick-six. He’s close to reaching his goal of being an All-Pro cornerback, but those are the plays he needs to make.
--- In a game of inches, don’t forget Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon’s fourth-down tackle of Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson just short of the sticks after Minnesota made the aggressive call to go for it on fourth-and-7 from its own 49-yard line early in the third quarter. Gordon shoved Hockenson out of bounds to force the turnover on downs.
--- It’s safe to say the Vikings weren’t fooled by any screen pass.
--- We mention it every season in this column, but U.S. Bank Stadium is simply spectacular. That’s what the Bears should model their next stadium to be.
--- The Bears head into the late bye week with a win.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.