In a Chicago Bears season filled with mistakes, more proved pivotal Sunday in a 30-27 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Chicago’s special teams unit almost made up for it with a late onside kick recovery, the first in the NFL this season. The recovery set up a game-tying field goal by Cairo Santos to force overtime. But Minnesota prevailed in the extra session to send the Bears to a fifth straight loss.
The Vikings appeared to initially take control of the game on a muffed Bears punt in the third quarter. With Minnesota leading, 17-10, Chicago return specialist DeAndre Carter waved off a return as the punt landed inside the Minnesota 15-yard line. But he didn’t get out of the way.
The ball bounced off the turf and hit Carter’s leg, becoming live. Vikings linebacker Bo Richter jumped on it to regain possession for the Vikings.
Five plays later, Aaron Jones extended the Vikings lead to 24-10 with a two-yard touchdown run. Chicago eventually answered with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and the game-tying field goal as regulation expired.
But Minnesota drove for a game-winning field goal by John Parker Romo.
The loss was a fifth straight for a Bears team that’s spiraled since a 4-2 start. It’s the second straight since head coach Matt Eberflus dismissed offensive coordinator Shane Waldron amid regression from the offense and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The loss also marked a second straight where a special teams miscue impacted the outcome of the game.
The Bears had a chance last Sunday for a go-ahead field goal in the game’s final seconds against the Green Bay Packers. But Chicago allowed Green Bay to block the field goal to secure a 20-19 Packers win.
This Sunday, there was more of the same on special teams. And it wasn’t just the muffed punt.
The Vikings had a chance to take a 10-7 lead in the first half with a 48-yard field goal attempt by Santos. But for a second consecutive week, the Bears allowed a blocked field goal, and the game remained tied at 7-7.
Combined with Carter’s muffed punt, the special teams miscues were too much for Chicago to overcome. The Bears dropped to 4-7 in the loss while the Vikings improved to 9-2. And Eberflus is set up for another week of tough questions in Chicago.
