The Minnesota Vikings squared off against division rival Chicago Bears Sunday afternoon at Solider Field. The Vikings controlled the game until things got complicated and the Chicago Bears almost came back to win at the very end, tying it and taking it into overtime. Sam Darnold played all right, finally mixing it up and favoring Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson throwing them both touchdown passes. Addison was hot on Sunday catching eight passes for a career-high 162 yards, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 receiving yards for the Vikings, who are still one game behind Detroit in the tough NFC North.
Caleb Williams had an amazing game, throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bears dropped their fifth straight game, three of which were decided on the final play. The Vikings appeared to have the game in the bag, but the Chicago Bears weren’t done yet.
Minnesota Vikings Almost Lose Late As Chicago Bears Start To Rally Back Late
Deandre Carter made up for a botched punt that ended up leading to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40-yard line. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams took it from there, capping off an eight-play drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A two-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 24-27 with only 22 seconds remaining. The Bears went for a successful onside kick and Caleb Williams then hit DJ Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30-yard line before spiking the ball.
Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime even though everyone thought the Minnesota Vikings easily had this game in the final minutes. The Chicago Bears won the overtime coin toss, but the Vikings stopped Caleb Williams and the Bears on their first overtime drive. The Viks then took over at the 21 yard-line, and Sam Darnold led a 10-yard play drive, overcoming a sack by Montez Sweat on the first play on two penalties.
The Vikings Fight Hard To Squeeze Out A Victory In Overtime Despite The Late Hiccup
Coach O’Connell said this about the Vikings final overtime drive:
“We were gonna do it via the pass on that drive for the most part, try to mix some runs in there if we coult. But I think that when your best is required, I had no hesitation of trying to attack what I was seeing and trying to get our guys going to get down there and give Parker a chance.”
Sam Darnold then connected with T.J. Hockenson for a 29-yard completion, putting the ball on the 9-yard line. Sammy then took a knee and Romo nailed the game-winning field goal in overtime to win the game for the Vikings.
Sam Darnold surpassed his previous high of 19 touchdown passes in a season with a two-yard pass to Addison on the first play of the second quarter, and he made it 14-7 with a five-yard pass to Jalen Nailor late in the first half. He completed 22 out of his 34 passes for the day. Caleb Williams on the other hand was 32 of 47 with a 103.1 passer rating in his second straight solid performance since getting a new offensive coordinator in Thomas Brown who replaced previous offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
The Vikings now head back home to face off against the Arizona Cardinals after winning three straight games on the road. The Chicago Bears on the other hand go on to face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
To follow more of what’s going on around the NFL go to GridIronHeroics.com and follow me on X(Twitter) @Crain_Sports1.
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