LAS VEGAS – All three phases delivered huge plays to lead the Bears to an exhilarating 25-24 comeback victory over the Raiders Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
The defense generated four takeaways—including three interceptions—for the second straight week. Caleb Williams engineered a brilliant 11-play, 69-yard drive that culminated in running back D'Andre Swift's 2-yard touchdown run to put the Bears ahead with 1:34 remaining. And the special teams preserved the win when Josh Blackwell blocked Daniel Carlson's 54-yard field goal attempt with :33 to play.
With their second straight win, the Bears improved to 2-2 heading into their bye week.
"I'm proud of our guys," said coach Ben Johnson. "They came through for us. We're building something special here. I think they're feeling it; just the belief they have in each other, the belief they have in this coaching staff. I thought it really showed. This is a huge win for our team. Finding a way in the fourth quarter to come out on top, I just thought was outstanding for us. Proud of our guys, proud of the locker room."
Trailing 24-19 with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter, the Bears took over at their own 31. Williams proceeded to complete 4 of 5 passes for 42 yards and rush for 19 yards on two carries to set up Swift's go-ahead touchdown.
"I remember talking to Caleb before he took the field and said, 'This is what you're built for,'" Johnson said. "These are the moments that he thrives in the most. That's really been the story of his life, and I know he came through for us in a big way."
Williams revealed that Johnson's message reflected "a belief and confidence that he has in me and from there I went to the huddle, and I looked everybody in the eyes and [said], 'This is the moment. This is where we go win the game.'"
After Swift's TD, the Raiders' Dylan Laube returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to his own 42. Las Vegas eventually reached the Bears' 35 before safety Kevin Byard III dropped rookie running back Ashton Jeanty for a 1-yard loss on third-and-2, leading to Carlson's field-goal attempt on the next play.
Blackwell, a value special teams contributor and reserve cornerback, burst off the edge and deflected the kick, enabling the Bears to escape with the thrilling victory.
"The last two I got so close, and I was like, 'I'm going to jump [the snap] perfect this time,'" Blackwell said. "I got a good jump."
"He came through for us when we needed it," Johnson said. "I'm listening on the headset and coach [Richard] Hightower … is narrating it in real time and he's like, 'Yeah, Blackwell's going to get this one for us. He's going to come through.' And sure enough, it came to light just like he thought."
The Bears won despite scoring just one touchdown on four red-zone possessions and getting outrushed 240-69, with Jeanty running for 138 yards on 21 carries, highlighted by a 64-yard touchdown that gave the Raiders a 14-6 lead late in the first half.
Williams completed 22 of 37 passes for 212 yards with one TD, one interception and a 73.3 passer rating. Sacked only once, he did a masterful job of eluding pressure, especially from All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby, who had one interception, one forced fumble and three pass breakups. After the game, Williams called Crosby "probably the best player that I've played against so far in my career."
The Bears defense opened Sunday's contest by generating takeaways on the Raiders' first two drives, extending its streak with a takeaway to five consecutive possessions dating back to last weekend's win over the Cowboys.
The first takeaway came on third-and-10. With a huge contingent of Bears fans making it difficult for the Raiders to hear at the line of scrimmage, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith's pass intended for receiver Jakobi Meyers was intercepted by Byard, who returned it 35 yards to the Las Vegas 24.
The Bears capitalized on the turnover, taking a 3-0 lead on Santos' field goal.
The defense took the ball away again moments later. On fourth-and-1 from the Raiders' 35, defensive tackle Andrew Billings penetrated into the backfield and hit Jeanty. The rookie spun around and was drilled by linebacker Noah Sewell, causing a fumble that cornerback Tyrique Stevenson scooped up and returned one yard to the 20.
On the previous play—third-and-1 at the 35—Billings had shoved center Jordan Meredith back into Smith, who was dropped for no gain on a quarterback sneak.
The Bears were unable to convert the second takeaway, however, as Crosby deflected and intercepted a Williams pass, returning it 19 yards to the Las Vegas 24.
Smith followed by engineering a 7-play, 66-yard drive that he capped with an 8-yard TD pass to Jeanty, giving the Raiders a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.
Midway through the second period, Byard registered his second interception of the game and his third in the last three quarters, diving to pick off Smith's pass intended for Meyers, returning it 14 yards to the Las Vegas 24.
But the offense once again was unable to get into the end zone, settling for Santos' 43-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-6.
After Jeanty's 64-yard TD run made it 14-6, Santos' third field goal without a miss, a 52-yarder, drew the Bears to within 14-9 with :53 remaining in the half.
On the first play of the second half, Stevenson made a diving interception of a pass intended for Meyers and returned it three yards to the Las Vegas 40.
This time, the offense capitalized on the takeaway as Williams rifled a 27-yard TD pass to Odunze, giving the Bears a 16-14 lead. After a facemask penalty on Swift, Williams completed passes of 17 yards to receiver DJ Moore and 10 yards to Odunze on third-and-5 to sustain the drive.
The Raiders answered with a 10-play, 80-yard drive culminating in Smith's 9-yard TD pass to Jeanty, putting Las Vegas back on top 21-16.
The Bears were in position to take the lead early in the fourth quarter. But on third-and-5 from the Raiders' 14, a shotgun snap slipped past Williams. The quarterback recovered for a 19-yard loss and Santos followed with a 51-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21-19.
After Carlson's 29-yard field goal made it 24-19, the Bears rallied to take the lead on Swift's TD and preserved their win when Blackwell blocked Carlson's field-goal try.
"[We knew] it was going to be a dog fight," Johnson said. "They were desperate for a win, and we were desperate for a win as well. It came down right to the wire just like we thought it might. That's a huge character win for our team, and I just love it for them."
