CHICAGO — Sam Darnold figured the Vikings would recover the Bears’ onside kick near the end of regulation and he would only need to kneel.
Though things got a little more complicated, he’ll take this result.
Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal, and Minnesota outlasted Chicago 30-27 on Sunday after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.
“You’re expecting to recover the onside kick and just take some knees,” Darnold said. “So your mindset (is) you’ve got to get ready to go back out there and execute at a high level and I feel like our offence did a really good job of that, obviously, in overtime.”
Darnold threw two touchdown passes. Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North.
Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears (4-7) dropped their fifth straight, with three decided on the final play. Chicago is 5-18 in one-possession games under coach Matt Eberflus, who is 14-31 in 2 1/2 seasons.
“I think we got better in all phases,” Williams said. “We’ve gotten better over these past couple games. I think today was a testament to that, being decisive, receivers and everybody. It’s tough.”
Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished.
Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining.
The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Chicago won the coin toss, but Jonathan Greenard got his second sack of the game, taking down Williams for a 12-yard loss on second down. That led to a three-and-out. The Vikings took over at the 21, and Darnold led a 10-play drive, overcoming a sack by Montez Sweat on the first play and two penalties.
“It was just the ability to overcome, and his trust in me and my trust in him,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We were gonna do it via the pass on that drive for the most part, try to mix some runs in there if we could. But I think that when your best is required, I had no hesitation of trying to attack what I was seeing and trying to get our guys going to get down there and give Parker a chance.”
Darnold connected with Hockenson for a 29-yard completion that put the ball on the 9. He took a knee and Romo nailed the winner.
“Football is a game where you’ve got to be able to respond,” O’Connell said. “It’s never gonna be perfect. This group is a special group, and it’s a road win in the NFC North and I’m really proud of our team.”
Darnold surpassed his previous high of 19 touchdown passes in a season with a 2-yarder to Addison on the first play of the second quarter, and he made it 14-7 with a 5-yard score to Jalen Nailor late in the first half. He completed 22 of 34 passes.
Aaron Jones ran for 106 yards and a score for the Vikings.
Williams was 32 of 47 with a 103.1 passer rating in his second straight solid performance since Thomas Brown replaced the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator.
“He’s growing in front of our eyes,” Eberflus said of the No. 1 overall draft pick. “Today was a really good growth for him to be able to go out there and execute the way he did with a 103 passer rating and be able to get those drives going at the end to put us in position to win the game.”
Moore caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, and Allen added 86 yards receiving and the late TD.
Injuries
Vikings: LB Ivan Pace Jr. (hamstring) and LT Cam Robinson (foot) left in the first quarter. … S Jay Ward (elbow) was also banged up. … Darnold missed two plays with a foot injury after he was hit by Gervon Dexter Sr. on a pass play with about 6 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation. He said he just needed to walk it off.
Up next
Vikings: Host Arizona next Sunday.
Bears: Visit Detroit on American Thanksgiving.
