Bear Digest

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for Bears in Loss to Vikings

Analysis: The best receiving days by DJ Moore and Keenan Allen and a record-setting day by Caleb Williams went for naught in Sunday's 30-27 Bears overtime loss.

Gene Chamberlain

DJ Moore hauls in a pass at the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Bears loss..
DJ Moore hauls in a pass at the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Bears loss.. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
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The mere fact the Bears got a field goal attempt blocked on their very next try after the game-ending shock block against Green Bay said enough to send everyone of the 57,000-plus fans home to rake leaves.

The odds of a blocked field goal from a distance like this was about 3% last week and it's a pretty good bet it still was 3% on Sunday in the Bears' 30-27 loss to Minnesota. The odds against two blocked field goals in succession are not quite 3% or 1%.

Only the Bears.

Plenty of teams have punts get muffed and sometimes a short, bouncing punt can get touched by accident. But you know something really ridiculous happened if your punt returner is waving teammates away from a bouncing, rolling punt to keep them from touching it, and then it bounces and hits him.

Only the Bears.

The chances of recovering an onside kick are very small these days, about 7%, and being able to do it, then get in position in 21 seconds to kick the tying field goal before totally deflating the stadium by allowing a 68-yard drive to the game-deciding 29-yard field goal are very small.

Only the Bears.


Although a little less dramatic than a game-ending blocked field goal or Hail Mary pass, this one still ended with a Bears loss on the final play for the third time this year.

"I don't think we expect things like that to happen," coach Matt Eberflus said. "I just believe that we have to execute better

down the stretch. We got to coach better down the stretch. It's an everybody thing."

Here's everybody he was good, bad or ugly in the Week 12 30-27 Bears overtime loss to the Vikings.

The Good

Caleb Williams

He set the Bears rookie record for season passing yards Sunday, which really is a low bar. His record is now 2,356 yards and counting. He broke the, ahem, "record" held by Mitchell Trubisky of 2,193. The two TD passes allowed him to tie the immortal Charlie O'Rourke at 11 TD passes for another rookie record.

Williams was precise, threw downfield with accuracy and did all of this against a defense leading the league in blitzing.

BEARS STARTING TO SEE THE SUPERMAN ACT FROM CALEB WILLIAMS

BEARS PRODUCE THEIR OWN MAGIC YET COME AWAY DISAPPOINTED IN OT LOSS

DECISIONS RETURN TO HAUNT MATT EBERFLUS IN LOSS TO VIKINGS

MORE BEARS VIDEO AND NEWS


"He's growing in front of our eyes," coach Matt Eberflus aid. "Today was a really good growth for

him to be able to go out there and execute the way he did with a 103 passer rating.

"Get those

drives going at the end to put us in position to win the game."

WR DJ Moore

With 106 yards on seven catches and a TD, he had his best game of the season and second 100-yard game. The connection is looking better, and his 27-yard catch of a bullet throw in overtime was outstanding with the game on the line.

WR Keenan Allen

His best day with the Bears with season highs of seven catches and 86 yards with a TD. He did have one crucial drop, too.

The Bad

Matt Eberflus

At least he made a move up the ladder from the ugly since last week. His gamble on a two-point conversion once the Bears were within 24-16 made little sense. If he wanted to go for the win, the wider route is getting within seven and then going for two if they have the chance to for the win on one conversion. It doesn't matter what "the chart" says. His other big mistake was the fourth-and-4 gamble in the third quarter with the Bears easily in field goal range of Santos. Wouldn't he have loved to have those three points at game's end?

The Bears Defense

They didn't stop the run, allowing 124 yards and 106 to Aaron Jones. They allowed the Vikings to complete a third-and-10 pass in overtime in the drive to the winning points. They gave up 330 yards passing overall. Just an all-around bad effort as they gave up more than 29 points for the first time this season. Even Nick Mullens was able to come in and complete a big first-down pass against them, a 14-yard gain to running back Aaron Jones on a third-and-13.

The Ugly

Punt returner DeAndre Carter

Waving everyone off a bouncing punt, then letting the ball hit him for a muff as the gleeful Vikings pounced on it at the Bears 15 is going to make everyone forget Velus Jones Jr.

Bears Field Goal Unit


How? Why? Two blocked kicks in two games. Incredible. He's had three kicks blocked this year now. That alone should get a special teams coordinator fired.

DJ Moore's Pass

They tried the old wide receiver pass and his throw came out way too late. It floated like a punt as he tried to hit Rome Odunze near the goal line, Moore's pass really had nothing on it. They could have called pass interference on the throw but let it go, like they did a lot of Vikings plays by the secondary.

Officials

Clay Martin's crew and replay messed up calls on three plays along the sidelines that seemed obvious, and called a questionable pass interference against Jaylon Johnson.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.