The Chicago Bears’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings was far from perfect, but there was a lot to like about it.

 

 

Cairo Santos’ game-winning field goal Monday night was a gimme, a 30-yard tap-in that finished the Chicago Bears’ 12-10 victory against the Minnesota Vikings. From the right hash, with a running clock, Santos set himself up. Snap, hold, kick. W.

“We all showed character in finishing tonight,” the kicker said afterward from a jubilant visitors locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium.

That kick was the Bears’ finishing touch, the punctuation of a 66-yard final drive that had its biggest moment when Justin Fields drilled a clutch 36-yard completion to DJ Moore on third-and-10 to propel the offense into field-goal range.

That was the biggest play of the night, both in significance and yards gained. Against zone coverage and facing a four-man rush, Fields kept his poise in the pocket. A huge hole opened in the middle of the field.

Moore broke in. Fields threw his fastball.

Boom.

That play has been talked about most this week — and with good reason. Finally, in a game-on-the-line moment, Fields and the offense finished successfully, providing the big play in the final minute with the winning points coming from Santos with 10 seconds remaining.

“We know who we are as a team,” Fields said. “We know what we’re capable of. It’s really just going out there and executing and finishing the way we know how.”

Monday’s victory, as flawed and error-filled as it was, came loaded with winning contributions that matter for these Bears, who are making a difficult and now suddenly spirited climb back toward the middle of the league.

 

 

Sure, the Bears had more than their fair share of blunders, missteps that would have caused a two-week outcry had they lost such a winnable game against a middle-tier opponent that was playing poorly. The Bears were flagged 12 times in the game, scored only three points off their four takeaways, lost a Matt Eberflus replay challenge late on the Vikings’ go-ahead touchdown drive late and persevered through two crucial Fields fumbles in the fourth quarter.

But they also displayed admirable resilience and competitive fight, continuing to show progress in key areas that they hope can push them closer to a more meaningful breakthrough.

With a Week 13 open date allowing players and coaches more time to savor their fulfilling finish, the Bears also can reflect on their fourth win of the season with pride in the flurry of big plays they made, contributions from the first quarter through the final seconds that made a difference.

When meetings resume Monday at Halas Hall, Eberflus and his coaching staff will have plenty of examples of game-changing moments to highlight. Here are six to get them started.

On the final play of the first quarter, facing fourth-and-10 from the Vikings 38-yard line, Eberflus quickly sorted through the analytics, considered the early game flow and made a bold decision to go for it.

 

 

The Bears were just a hair outside Santos’ range but far enough across midfield that they didn’t see a big enough reward in punting. Thus the greenlight was given on fourth-and-long.

“You’re just ultra-aggressive there,” Eberflus said, “because you feel good with how your defense is playing.”

The offense’s response? The Bears used extra protection to successfully handle a six-man Vikings pressure and tight end Cole Kmet, after originally engaging as a blocker against D.J. Wonnum, leaked into the open field.

Fields felt the heat properly, drifted to his right away from pressure and calmly hit Kmet 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. The tight end did the rest, barreling ahead for the first down and prolonging a possession that ended with the first points of the night, a 25-yard Santos field goal.

“The two times we’ve played the Vikings, my responsibilities are I’m either going to be in protection a lot or I’m going to have to get out on my route,” Kmet explained. “Did both there. It was good. You take your pass set and then they add on and I was able to leak out without anybody on me. That was a big play.”

 

 

It wasn’t just the fourth-down conversion that resonated. Two snaps earlier, after a 12-yard sack and a 12-men-in-the-huddle infraction, the Bears were buried in a second-and-27 hole. But they didn’t let that derail them.

Fields first hit Kmet for a 6-yard gain, then found running back Roschon Johnson on a checkdown for 11 more. Then came the clutch completion to Kmet with the big tight end adding important yards after the catch.

Kmet, for what it’s worth, continues to be one of the steadiest contributors the Bears have and turned in a terrific performance Monday across the board. As a pass catcher, he’s on pace for 79 receptions, 683 yards and seven touchdowns. Among tight ends, he ranks fifth, eighth and second, respectively, across those categories through Week 12.

With an urge to improve the pass rush, Bears general manager Ryan Poles made an all-in move for Montez Sweat last month, trading a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders, then securing Sweat’s services for the long haul with a four-year, $98 million extension. An investment like that brings expectations with the Bears believing Sweat can be a consistent presence for the defense, a playmaker capable of making an impact in every half of every game.

On Monday, Sweat needed only three snaps to make a splash, sacking Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs for an 8-yard loss on third-and-9. Sweat lined up inside of Yannick Ngakoue on that play, and the duo ran a stunt to strain right tackle Brian O’Neill and guard Ed Ingram. Sweat beat O’Neill around the edge and finished strong.