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Caleb Williams catapulted Chicago to a 24-20 win, thanks to back-to-back fourth-quarter touchdown drives to upend the Giants on his way to 283 total yards and two touchdowns.
“Really feels like I’m on repeat here. These guys are finding a way to fight until the end and win these games,” Ben Johnson said after the game. “It’s easy to feel the momentum swing in their favor, and yet, our guys didn’t waver.”
Game Recap
The Bears leaned into how midwesterner football is typically played in a snowy environment, while Jaxson Dart and the Giants found early success through the air despite the ice-cold conditions along the lakefront.
Each side found the end zone once, while fourth-down failures altered the late-game timeline in the first half.
DJ Moore wasn’t able to haul in a TD pass from Caleb Williams on a fourth-down throw to the back right corner of the end zone on the game’s opening drive. Then Dart was sacked on fourth-and-2 on the Giants’ opening possession for back-to-back turnovers on downs right out of the gates.
Chicago capitalized on the Dart sack, though. The Bears went on an 8-play, 47-yard drive their second time around, highlighted by two 15-yard catches by Rome Odunze, and capped by an 8-yard run straight up the gut by Kyle Monangai to strike first.
Chicago’s defense held strong all the way up until the final play of the first quarter.
Before an immaculate one-handed reception by Darius Slayton led to a 31-yard gain for New York, the Bears had held the Giants to 12 yards through the air and -3 yards on the ground—the fewest yards rushing by a team in the first quarter this season.
However, that SportsCenter Top 10 catch for 31 yards sparked New York’s offense. They used the momentum to roll to a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive capped by a 3-yard TD run on a fake pitch, quarterback keeper by Dart to tie the game at 7-7.
Next, the Giants put back-to-back scoring drives on the board—one to end the first half, and another to begin the second.
A 32-yard field goal from replacement kicker Younghoe Koo with three seconds left in the first half made it 10-7, then a 24-yard run from Dart untouched into the end zone made it 17-7 in favor of New York after a six-play, 56-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter.
Riding a wave of momentum behind 17 unanswered points, Dart and the Giants’ were driving again in the second half when the Bears’ defense revived some of their turnover mojo from a few weeks ago.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who notched his second sack in as many games with the Bears earlier in the ballgame, knocked the ball loose on a 7-yard scramble from Dart, and Nahshon Wright recovered the fumble to put the ball back into the hands of Williams and Chicago’s offense.
It appeared the Bears were ready to flip the script on New York too.
D’Andre Swift caught a 10-yard checkdown from Williams on first down, then followed it up with an 11-yard run one play later.
Then the tight ends started to get involved.
Colston Loveland caught a 20-yard pass, followed by a 19-yard defensive pass interference call on Deonte Banks in coverage of Odunze. Then Cole Kmet caught a 5-yard pass to move Chicago inside the Giants’ 5-yard line.
But as has been the case for the Bears on numerous occasions this season, they were unable to punch it in for six.
Swift was stuffed for a 1-yard gain on second-and-goal, then Williams corralled a near-errant snap on third-and-goal that threw off his timing on what appeared to be a back-shoulder throw intended for Odunze.
Cairo Santos strolled out on fourth-and-goal and knocked in a chip shot from 22 yards out to make it a one-score game, 17-10.
Russell Wilson replaced Dart on New York’s next offensive possession. The rookie quarterback exited the game, went into concussion protocol, and was later ruled out for the rest of the game.
Dart finished his day 19-for-29, passing for 242 yards. He also had 6 carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Wilson led a 10-play, 79-yard drive all the way down to Chicago’s 1-yard line, but the Giants, much like the Bears, were unable to convert to the opportunity into six points. Koo hit his second field goal of the day, this time a 19-yarder, to re-extend New York’s lead to ten points.
Williams leaned on Loveland and Odunze heavily as the fourth quarter clock continued to tick down, and Gardner-Johnson came up with a clutch sack to give the Bears’ offense a chance to win the ballgame over the final five minutes of Sunday’s contest.
Williams hit Odunze for 11 yards and Loveland later for 20 before he busted off his longest run of the year—a 29-yard scramble up the left sideline down to the Giants’ 2-yard line. Then on first-and-goal, Williams found a wide-open Odunze for six.
Odunze’s final stat line was 6 catches (10 targets) for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing by three and in need of a stop, this is where Gardner-Johnson answered. He burned around the right edge of New York’s offensive line completely untouched. By the time Wilson saw him, it was too late. Gardner-Johnson slung him to the ground for a sack on third down, and the Giants punted the ball back to Chicago.
“You get football taken away from you, which is what [Gardner-Johnson] felt like the last couple months, that’s his story,” Johnson said. “And now, he’s here with a bunch of guys rooting for him, and he’s grateful for the opportunity. It gives you a greater sense of appreciation. He’s always been a phenomenal football player.
“I think he’s found a good home here in Chicago [and] our guys are gravitating toward his swagger, his play-making ability. I think he’s quickly becoming one of us.”
Gardner-Johnson’s second sack of the game marked his third of the year, a new single-season career high for the seven-year NFL veteran. The Bears’ four sacks on defense also tied a season-high. They had four sacks in their 26-14 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 7.
After a shank job by Jamie Gillan placed the ball near midfield, Williams kept the good times rolling.
After Swift ran the ball for seven yards on first down, he found Burden for 27, then followed a bulldozing Kmet up the left sideline for a game-winning 17-yard rushing touchdown.
“It was a naked keeper,” Williams said after the game, recalling the play. “Once I got booted around, I saw Cole [Kmet] got taken by a corner, and then from there, I didn’t see a backer. I felt the grass to be able to keep it and go. Having Cole in front of me helped. Cole made a great block for us and we just took it up the sideline and scored.”
Up Next
The Chicago Bears travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings next Sunday, with kickoff scheduled to take place at noon CT.
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