Chicago Bears Score and Recap (Week 12): Vikings 30, Bears 27 F/OT -Williams’ Heroics Come Up Short in Overtime Loss

The Bears had another sloppy performance on Sunday and fell behind the Vikings by 11 with just under two minutes left in the game. Then quarterback Caleb Williams led a remarkable comeback with the help of an onside kick recovery and tied the game in the final seconds to force overtime. Unfortunately, Minnesota was able to get a stop in OT and then kicked a field goal to win it 30-27.

The Vikings were able to drive inside the 5 yard line early in the first quarter but running back Aaron Jones was stripped by safety Jonathan Owens, who also recovered the fumble to end the threat. Williams completed a pair of long passes to Keenan Allen and D’Andre Swift to set up a short touchdown run by Roschon Johnson to give Chicago a rare 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.

Minnesota answered immediately when Sam Darnold hit wide receiver Jordan Addison on a deep throw and then tossed him a short TD on the next snap to even the score. Cairo Santos got a second kick blocked in as many weeks, this time on a 48-yard attempt, and the Vikes scored on the ensuing drive with a Jalen Nailor touchdown reception to make it 14-7.

Santos was able to successfully convert a FG right before halftime and the Vikings answered with their own field goal early in the third quarter to bring the score to 17-10. The Bears made another massive special teams mistake late in the quarter when a Minnesota punt bounced off the leg of returner DeAndre Carter and was recovered by the road team. Jones ran in a touchdown on the following drive to give the Vikings a 24-10 advantage.

Williams really started cooking in the fourth quarter and hooked up with D.J. Moore for a 10-yard score and reduced the deficit to 24-16 after a failed two-point conversion. Minnesota then appeared to put the game out of reach with a long drive that ended with a field goal right after the two minute warning to give them an 11-point lead.

The Bears rookie quarterback did not give up, playing some of his best football as a professional and drove his team quickly down the field, hitting Allen for a TD and bringing the score to 27-24 after converting a two point try. Chicago’s onside kick attempt was accidentally kicked by Minnesota tight end Johnny Mundt and recovered by the home team with just 22 seconds left.

Williams hit Moore on a 27-yard pass and was able to spike the ball in time for Santos to successfully hit a tying 48-yard field goal to send the game to OT. The Bears won the coin toss but could not keep the momentum going with a three and out. The Vikings were much more successful with a long drive deep into Chicago territory and kicker John Parker Romo booted the game-winning 29-yard FG. (Box score)

Why the Bears Lost

The two crucial special teams mistakes led to at least a 10-point swing in the score which would’ve been more than enough to change the outcome.

Key Moment

The Bears had all the momentum starting overtime with the ball but things fizzled at a bad time and the Vikings never gave them another chance after Chicago punted the football.

Stats That Matter

• This was by far the best Williams has looked in a Bears uniform with 340 yards passing and two touchdowns.He threaded the needle numerous times firing strikes through tight coverage. His confidence is clearly growing under new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
• Moore appeared much more engaged in this one and had 106 yards and a touchdown.
• Chicago was the first team this season to recover an onside kick after the new rules that require declaring an onside attempt before it happens went into effect.

Bottom Line

Caleb Williams continues to demonstrate he has all the skills to be a very good NFL quarterback. The Bears have a lot of talent but they don’t have the kind of coaching they need to get the most out of it. The good news is with the right people in charge this roster could be very competitive. They need to make a good choice when Matt Eberflus is almost surely fired at the end of the season. They should not be coming up short in all of these very winnable games.

Next Up

It’s a quick turnaround for the Bears with a trip to Detroit for a Thanksgiving day matchup with the Lions Thursday at 11:30am CT on CBS.