Windy City Gridiron
Happy victory Thursday Bears fans! The cardiac Bears v2.0 strike again (the 2001 team is starting to get really nervous the 2025 is going to yank their moniker fully.) After leading the majority of the game, the Minnesota Vikings scored 2 late 4th quarter touchdowns and suddenly the Bears were sensing déjà vu all over again from week 1.
But Devin Duvernay and the Chicago Bears had, on again, different plans. Returning the ensuing kickoff after the Vikings took a late lead, Durvernay returned the ball 56 yards to the Vikings 40, setting up the Bears with the easy task of picking up a few yards for their kicker, who eventually nailed the game winning 48-yard field goal giving your Chicago Bears a 19-17 walk-off victory over the Minnesota Vikings, their 5th come from behind victory on the season.
It was a shaky first half for the Bears offense, as Brian Flores and the Minnesota Vikings defense were playing in what was essentially a do or die game for their season amidst another highly competitive NFC North race. Flores dialed up a blitz on 77.8% of drop backs for Caleb Williams, and he responded well overall.
In fact, on the season Caleb Williams has responded well overall to dealing with pressure, through week 11 he is the 12th best QB per EPA/drop back when it comes to dealing with it.
Ben Johnson also came prepared to deal with the extra pressure expected from Flores’ defense, as the Bears operated out of 12 personnel (1 RB/2 WR/2 TE) 46% of the time, 13 personnel (1 RB/1 WR/ 3 TE) 11% of the time, and lined up with an additional offensive lineman 13% of the time. All numbers that best their season averages (32%/3%/6%).
The offensive line, without a doubt has also played a huge factor into this success. Using composite ratings from PFF, ESPN, and SIS (Sports Info Solutions) the Bears boast a top 5 pass protection rating.
The addition of Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, and Jonah Jackson has been understated, bringing stability and elite level play at the interior of the offensive line. As a group the have played 676 of 680 total offensive snaps together. Numbers we could only wish for in 2024.
After weathering a first half storm, Caleb come out solid in the second half. Completing 9-of-16 passes for 121 yards, of those 7 incompletions, 3 were drops, including 2 throws that were graded as “Great”, and 2 balls that were thrown away. This gives him a very robust 85.7% adjusted completion percentage for the second half. This all resulted in a second half that say just 2 plays being graded negatively.
All said and done, through 11 weeks in the NFL season, the Bears are still the most explosive offensive in the league despite the various struggles we’ve seen from it, all the way working with a first year quarterback and head coach combination. And as an added plus, Caleb has started a brand new streak....
