Bears' late rally falls short in 29-22 loss to Vikings.
Bloodied, bruised and battered for much of the first half Sunday in Minnesota, it would have come as no shock if the Bears lost to the Vikings by 28, 38 or even 48 points.
Kirk Cousins, looking like he was playing 7-on-7 Nerf football with his 13-year-old friends, completed a Vikings record 17 straight passes to start the game.
Justin Jefferson, the friend you throw to over and over again because nobody can cover him, hauled in 10 first-half receptions for a whopping 138 yards.
With 7:20 remaining in the first half, the Vikings were up 21-3 and it appeared the rout was on.
But instead of crying "uncle," the Bears started counterpunching with a vengeance.
Justin Fields looked like a viable NFL quarterback. Darnell Mooney made a sensational one-handed grab. Velus Jones Jr. announced his presence with an impressive 10-yard TD catch.
Kyler Gordon blocked a field goal. The defense remembered how to defend. Kindle Vildor made a game-turning interception.
And before you knew it, the Bears led 22-21 with 9:26 remaining.
Of course, we all know how this movie ends, with Minnesota marching 75 yards in seven minutes to claim a 29-22 victory.
The Bears (2-3) deserve plenty of credit for showing some impressive resiliency, though. Not many teams - especially rebuilding ones with very few difference-making players - allow 3 TDs on an opponent's first three drives and manage to come back to take a lead.
Yet, Matt Eberflus' squad pulled it off - and if not for two brutal mistakes by WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette - the Bears easily could have prevailed.
"The guys fought hard," Eberflus told WBBM, 780-AM. "I just told (them) in the locker room, 'Guys, we have to make the plays at the end to seal the deal.' ...
"But I also told them that we came back because of the resiliency we have as a football team. ... That's why were in the game."
In terms of finishing, the Bears must do two things better:
• Understand the importance of ball security. Two weeks ago in New York, Jones Jr. lost a fumble on a punt, killing the Bears' comeback chances. On Sunday, Smith-Marsette had the ball stripped by Cameron Dantzler near the Vikings' 40-yard line with just over a minute remaining. Afterward, Smith-Marsette told reporters he should have run out of bounds. "That was a selfish move," he said.
• Stop opponents on third down. Minnesota went 12-for-15, an 80% clip that almost guarantees victory. The Vikings went 5-for-5 on third down on their final drive, including a 5-yard run on third-and-5 by Cousins with less than three minutes remaining.
"We have to convert on one of those on defense," Eberflus said. "You've got to get a big sack, you've got to get a pass breakup (to) force them to kick a field goal (at the end) there, and then we're in a better position."
After 22 minutes, Cousins was 17-for-17 for 176 yards. Eight of those completions went to Jefferson for 122 yards. After that, Cousins went 15-for-24 for 120 yards, with Jefferson grabbing just 4 of those passes.
Meanwhile, Justin Fields overcame a rough 3-for-8 start by completing 12 of his last 13 throws for 135 yards. He also added 47 yards on 8 rushes - and also had a 52-yard TD run called back because of a third-quarter holding penalty on Smith-Marsette.
"I really didn't know (it didn't count) until I looked up in the stands and saw the Vikings' fans pointing back," Fields said. "So I was like, 'Dang. There must be a flag on the field.' But in moments like that you've just got to reset and try to go get 7 again."
The Bears did kick a field goal to make it 22-21, but a touchdown would have made it 26-21.
David Montgomery played after missing just one game due to knee and ankle injuries. He picked up 30 yards on the Bears' first play from scrimmage (a quick RB screen) and finished with 62 yards on 4 receptions. He only picked up 20 yards on 12 carries.
Minnesota (4-1) outgained the Bears 429-271, piled up 29 first downs to the Bears' 14 and had a time of possession of 36 minutes, 44 seconds.
Despite the loss, the toughness displayed by the Bears should serve them well, especially with just three days to prepare for a Thursday night game at Soldier Field against Washington (1-4).
"We were down 21-3," Fields told reporters. "A lot of the same teams in this league would've laid down and stopped playing, but I'm just proud of the guys in the way they fought."