Back-to-back sacks. A huge punt return to set up a short field for Minnesota. A 16-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mason, and all of a sudden, in a game where the Chicago Bears were (again) the better team, we were watching a repeat of Week 1 unfold in front of our eyes. Mason’s touchdown run made it a six-point Bears advantage early in the fourth quarter. The ensuing Bears drive started with promise, but sputtered to a halt.
Here we go again. Right?
Wrong.
The Chicago Bears let the Minnesota Vikings hang around too long in Week 1, and they paid for it. Ben Johnson’s Bears let the Vikings hang around too long in Week 11, and still walked out of U.S. Bank Stadium 7-3, in sole possession of first place in the NFC North (pending the result of the Sunday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions).
There are a lot of hows and whys from this game to discuss here and for the next few days. However, one thing remains clear: Ben Johnson’s Bears are different. They’re dangerous. And most importantly, they’re never dead.
“It was very reminiscent of the first game, where we ended up having a lead and then allowed it to get interesting there,” Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson said after the game. “We felt like we didn’t make enough plays there in that first game to earn the victory. This one, we did. I do think that shows growth as a football team.”
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Defensive back Jonathan Owens (36) and cornerback Nick McCloud (24) react after defeating the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn ImagesBelief Rooted in Growth
As we’ve seen with many of the wins this season, it wasn’t always pretty. This could have been a convincing victory for Chicago. This also could have been a loss. In the past, it would have been a loss. But these Bears are different, even if imperfect.
“This ain’t the same old Bears no more,” said safety Kevin Byard III as he walked off the field on Sunday.
What @KevinByard said pic.twitter.com/apHoQ8dxUF
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 16, 2025Byard recorded his fifth interception of the season on Sunday. It was part of an afternoon in which the Bears had two interceptions, and probably could’ve had more. There were plenty of missed opportunities for Chicago today, which the Bears head coach was readily willing to admit.
“There’s ups and downs in every game,” Johnson said. “There’s a few things you wish you were cleaner on. We had an illegal formation on one … a few drops mixed in there. Those are the ones that you get disappointed in because they’re more self-inflicted than they are anything else.”
The schedule isn’t going to get any easier, and at some point, Chicago will need to win convincingly. They’re going to need to clean up the self-inflicted wounds Johnson pointed to. But unlike previous iterations of this team, there’s a belief that they can, and that belief is rooted in the growth we’ve seen through the first three months of the season.
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Head Coach Ben Johnson walks the sideline during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesWhen Does the Magic Run Out?
The belief is there for this team.
Just ask quarterback Caleb Williams.
“It doesn’t matter when. It doesn’t matter how, it doesn’t matter who. We got the guys. We got the coaches. When our moment comes, we’ll make the play,” Williams said. “We’re gonna go win the game”
Until he is proven wrong, there’s not much of an argument against the belief that this group will find a way. The question is, who’s going to prove them wrong? However, there’s no shortage of qualified challengers awaiting them.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in town next week, followed by back-to-back road matchups with the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. The Bears may be in first place right now, but the question is, for how long?
Clutch never gets old, even when it feels tiring. But they’ll need more than some fourth-quarter magic in the coming weeks.
It’s hard to beat really good teams with field goals. It’s hard to beat really good teams with an abundance of penalties and self-inflicted wounds. Clutch won’t matter if they can’t survive the first three quarters as the schedule tightens up.
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kicker Cairo Santos (8) kicks a game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesGame Balls
D’Andre Swift: 21 CAR, 91 YDS Nahshon Wright: INT, PD Kevin Byard III: 5 Tackles, INT, PDMore on the Chicago Bears Victory
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