For the second straight game, a fumble cost the Chicago Bears a potential victory. This time, it was receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette getting the ball ripped out of his hands as the Bears were driving for the game-tying touchdown. The Minnesota Vikings preserved a 29-22 victory, dropping Chicago to 2-3 on the season.
There’s no such thing as a good loss, but this is as close as it gets for the Bears. Chicago overcame an 18-point first-half deficit to take the lead and were poised to drive down the field to force overtime with a touchdown.
Despite Smith-Marsette’s fumble, it wasn’t a demoralizing defeat. Weirdly enough, this loss felt more like a win than Chicago’s Week 3 victory over the Houston Texans. That’s because there was measurable growth, particularly with quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields had his best game this season, where he was impactful with his arm and his legs. Fields completed 15-of-21 passes for 208 yards, a season high, and one touchdown for a 118.8 passer rating. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 47 rushing yards on eight carries, not including a 52-yard rushing touchdown that was called back because of a questionable holding penalty.
Two of Chicago’s top playmakers in receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet were involved in the passing game, combining for six catches for 97 yards. Kmet had four of those for 45 yards.
On defense, the Bears didn’t have an answer for the Vikings high-powered offense in the first half. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and receiver Justin Jefferson broke franchise records with their performances (including Cousins completing 17 consecutive passes and Jefferson making 10 catches for 138 yards.)
But, as has been evident all season, Chicago made the necessary halftime adjustments to get back in the ballgame — both on offense and defense. The Bears held the Vikings without a touchdown until the final minutes, when they scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 17-play, 75-yard drive. It was the first touchdown allowed by Chicago in the second half all season.
This isn’t a season of winning for the Bears. It’s a season for development in a rebuilding year under new GM Ryan Poles. And considering what we saw from Fields and this offense, as well as a short-handed, young defense, there’s reasons to be encouraged after a loss to a good Vikings team.