The Bears blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter but got a 48-yard field goal from Cairo Santos as time expired to beat the Minnesota Vikings 19-17 Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

Three moments that mattered

1. Walk-off winner: After missing a 45-yard field goal that would have extended the Bears’ lead to 19-10 in the fourth quarter, Cairo Santos redeemed himself with a 48-yarder as time expired. The kick sneaked inside the left upright, rallying the Bears from a 17-16 deficit and giving them their third win in a row.

2. Big-play Nahshon: Cornerback Nahshon Wright introduced himself to Bears fans in the season opener with a 74-yard pick-six against the Vikings. Wright intercepted Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy for the second time this season when he leapt and high-pointed the ball in front of WR Jordan Addison in the left corner of the end zone late in the first half. It was the fourth pick of the season for Wright, who has started nine games after he had three in his first four seasons.

3. First takeaway: The Bears have depended on turnovers all season to compensate for their leaky defense and finally got their first of the day late in the first half. Safety Kevin Byard III snagged his NFL-leading fifth interception, as he read the eyes of McCarthy and stepped in front of his first-and-10 pass over the middle. The pick set the Bears up at the Vikings 35 and led to Santos’ 38-yard field goal.

Three things that worked

1. Fourth-quarter resiliency: The Bears’ ability to deliver down the stretch in the fourth quarter has carried them all season (see games vs. Raiders, Commanders, Bengals, Giants). It happened again, thanks largely to Devin Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return to the Vikings 40, after Minnesota went ahead 17-16 with 50 seconds left.

2. Short passes: Bears QB Caleb Williams was brutally inaccurate in the first half, especially on long throws (7 of 16, 72 yards). He settled for shorter throws and check-downs in the second half, specifically targeting tight ends Cole Kmet (season-high five receptions on five targets for 45 yards) and rookie Colston Loveland (three catches, four targets, 40 yards).

3. Third-down pickups: D.J. Moore took a pitch and gained three yards on third-and-3, Williams sneaked for three yards on a third-and-1, and Kyle Monangai bulled forward for six yards on third-and-4 from the 7. All three plays came on the Bears’ first scoring drive, which covered 74 yards (15 plays) and was capped by Monangai’s 1-yard run that gave the Bears a 7-3 lead with 4:55 left in the second quarter.

Three things that didn’t

1. Not-so-special teams: The Bears’ special teams problems resurfaced again. Minnesota kick returner Myles Price took a Tory Taylor punt and raced 43 yards to the Bears 24, setting up the Vikings’ first touchdown. Price averaged 26.3 yards on three punt returns. The Bears tried to answer after the TD, but Santos’ 45-yard field goal try floated wide left. Josh Blackwell was penalized 15 yards for bumping Price on a fair catch.

2. Establishing Luther Burden III: The rookie wide receiver (and 39th overall pick) had only 16 receptions in his first eight games. The Bears tried to get him involved more early against the Vikings but had only mixed results. His first catch, a screen on the Bears’ second series, lost three yards. Williams missed him on his second target, before the two finally connected for a 14-yard reception. Burden, normally sure-handed, dropped a wide-open pass in the third quarter.

3. The start: The Bears went 3-and-out on their first two possessions, a first this season. Williams completed one of his first for four passes, for minus-3 yards to Burden. Williams overthrew Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore on deep balls. Then on the Bears’ first snap of their third possession, a botched handoff between Williams and D’Andre Swift resulted in a 15-yard loss.

What’s next?

Aaron Rodgers makes his first trip to Soldier Field since the Packers traded the four-time MVP QB after the 2022 season, as the 7-3 Bears host the 6-4 Pittsburgh Steelers at noon Sunday.