The Chicago Bears got off to a hot start on “Monday Night Football” against the Minnesota Vikings, particularly Caleb Williams. He was 13-for-16 for 112 yards, adding another 42 yards and 1 touchdown on four carries in the first half. The good vibes did not last, though.
After a host of self-inflicted issues and 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, Williams and the Bears have plenty of questions to answer.
Bears Lost to Vikings After Breakdowns in All 4 Quarters
Bears QB Caleb Williams: Inaccuracy ‘Happens Sometimes in Games’
Williams went 8-for-19 for 98 yards in the second half. He did find Rome Odunze for a 1-yard TD pass. That was after his would-be second rushing score was called back and ruled short. After the game, Williams, who also took 2 sacks, downplayed his second-half inaccuracy issues.
Williams cited needing to get in and out of the huddle quicker, finding checkdowns, and “complete some easy passes,” acknowledging his batted passes. He also noted the Bears’ penalties in the contest.
As for his own play and, specifically, his inaccuracy, Williams was matter-of-fact.
“I think that just happens sometimes in games and in moments,” Williams said at the podium postgame. “Just got to reel it back in, and go out there and execute. I think we did that on … our second-to-last drive that we had, being able to reel it back in, and go out there, and complete the ball.”
Williams did not officially throw an interception. He did, however, almost have one pass picked by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. It would have gone for a score had the veteran caught it.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson will certainly want Williams to be sharper against his old team, the Detroit Lions, in Week 2.
Bears Waste Strong Early Effort From Depleted Defense
The Bears’ encouraging start began with their defense and the noise from the crowd. They got Vikings and first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy out of sync and forced multiple changes at the line of scrimmage.
Things got hairy on the Vikings’ second possession, as fill-in starting cornerback Nahshon Wright was called for a questionable 42-yard defensive pass interference call.
However, the Bears’ defense stiffened in the red zone and forced a field goal.
The Bears stifled McCarthy and the Vikings’ starters for much of the first half, including limiting Justin Jefferson to two touches – one carry and one reception – for 8 total yards. Wright got redemption, taking a McCarthy pass intended for Jefferson to the endzone for a touchdown.
The Bears made Minnesota’s revamped offensive line look like a work in progress early.
After the break, the Bears regressed badly, and the Vikings took advantage. Early-game star Dayo Odeyingbo was hit with his second roughing the passer penalty.
It was a critical one, too. It allowed the Vikings to retry their two-point conversion attempt, which they missed on their first opportunity. They cashed in later when given a second chance, staking themselves to a 20-17 lead. The first came on the first play of the Vikings’ first possession of the second half.
That drive ended with Wright’s pick-6.
However, Odeyingbo’s penalty and the defense’s fourth-quarter letdown were fitting developments on a day where both sides of the ball contributed to the Bears’ downfall, though the defense carried a greater share of the load to uplift them early.
Ben Johnson’s Debut Features Some Notable Hits & Misses for Bears
The overarching theme of Johnson’s head coaching debut with the Bears should be about how open receivers seemed to be quite frequently against the Vikings. Instead, it will be about some of the decisions the rookie head coach made.
The most obvious would be passing on a field goal opportunity in the second quarter, calling a pass play in which Williams missed Moore.
Williams had an even more egregious miss to Moore in the fourth, but they scored on the drive.
Johnson, who also lost his first challenge on a potential fumble by Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson that linebacker Noah Sewell appeared to force, had the Bears line up for another fourth down but called them back on the FGA that kicker Cairo Santos hit before halftime.
The Bears’ first punt came well into their second drive, and the Vikings had to sniff out a screen pass to Odunze after a Darnell Wright penalty moved the offense in the wrong direction.
Still, they remained in control of the contest into the break.
The Bears’ offense stumbled out of the gate offensively to start the second half. They began with a quick 3-and-out, and they hardly offered much in the way of encouraging play after coming back out from the locker room.
Much like Williams’ individual numbers, the Bears’ offense sputtered in the final two quarters, but their self-inflicted hardships will remain the lasting reminder about their day in Week 1.
Self-Inflicted Issues Sink Bears vs Vikings
The Bears were flagged 12 times. They cost themselves 127 yards. Many of the flags came at critical moments on offense, stalling drives. Williams was not the only Bears player who contributed to the team’s demise. Santos missed a 50-yard try to start the fourth quarter that would have extended the lead to 20-6.
D’Andre Swift was arguably the Bears’ most consistent performer on the night. He had 17 carries for 53 yards or 3.1 yards per carry and another 12 yards on three catches.
Starting right guard Jonah Jackson, who was injured with the Los Angeles Rams last season, but has a history with Johnson and received an extension from the Bears, had two false starts.
Moore, who doubled as a running back, false-started in the second quarter. Rookie running back Kyle Monangai was called for an offensive holding penalty, but the Vikings declined it to bring up 3rd-and-10 for the Bears. Jackson’s penalties occurred in the drives bookending the Bears series in which Monangai was penalized.
The Bears were penalty-free on their first two series after halftime but still could not generate much offense.
Williams committed an intentional grounding penalty, and Darnell Wright drew an (erroneous) holding flag within three plays. Starting cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was called for a DPI.
Bears special teamer Carl Jones Jr. was called for a hold on a punt return, and Chicago was also flagged on their second-to-last play for an illegal shift. That flag came after a botched snap, and it altogether encapsulates the team’s struggles on an emotionally charged day.
Vikings Take Advantage
The Vikings won 14 games in 2024, and their beating the Bears would come as little to no surprise had they not turned to McCarthy after letting last season’s starter, Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks), leave in free agency.
But McCarthy, who the Bears sacked three times, showed many of the traits that Bears tight end Colston Loveland said he would to lead his team to victory.
He earned spots in history for his efforts.
McCarthy is an Evanston, Illinois native. He is also one of two QBs to overcome a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit in their debut in the last 45 years. He joined the legendary Steve Young, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, McCarthy is the first QB to score 3 TDs in the final frame of his debut.
The Vikings also exposed the Bears’ issues in coverage and stopping the run, particularly late in the contest.
Both of those can be explained by injuries.
The Bears were without their top two cornerbacks, Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and linebacker T.J. Edwards. The Bears still should have been able to pull out a victory without that trio. That they didn’t is just as much a testament to the Vikings staying the course as it is the Bears falling apart.