That was as shaky of a win as it gets.
But shaky can be fun, and anyone who made it this far into the Bears’ season deserves some fun.
The Bears stayed in the playoff chase Sunday even after Mitch Trubisky uncorked a late interception in the end zone and the defense needed a stop on the final snap as they beat the Vikings 33-27.
Convincing? Absolutely not.
Compelling? Yes. More, please.
“You know, it’s exciting for us right now,” coach Matt Nagy said. “We know we have two more guaranteed for us. And we feel good about all that.”
It’s been a while since anyone claimed the Bears were exciting. And it’s OK to acknowledge how substantial of an overhaul is necessary for them to become a contender again while still enjoying this mad dash for the playoffs.
The Bears have a chance. That’s all that matters as they try to catch the Cardinals, who are a game ahead at 8-6.
The oddity of the Bears’ emergence from a six-game losing streak is that it came with their offense bailing out their defense. Yes, you read that correctly.
The Vikings put up 407 yards, including 158 on the ground. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a 113.7 passer rating until Sherrick McManis intercepted his final desperate heave to the end zone.
The Bears stifled the Texans last week, but in games against the Vikings, Lions and Packers over the past month, they allowed a combined 102 points and 1,146 yards.
Nagy even weighed in on the final play, advising defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and yelling to a defensive player on the field about what he thought the Vikings might try as they snapped it from the Bears’ 33-yard line with seven seconds left.
“It’s important in those times to let these defensive coaches know what you’re thinking from an offensive perspective,” Nagy said. “I don’t tell them what to do. I just tell him from the offensive standpoint what [the Vikings] should be thinking. And then they go ahead and make the calls. I thought [Pagano] made the right call.”
The Bears were down starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson and nickel corner Buster Skrine, but their real problem — a recurring one — was that they couldn’t stop the run. It’s been jarring to see a defense that led the NFL in fewest yards rushing allowed in 2018 struggle so badly.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook pounded them for 132 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. The Vikings totaled 158 yards rushing at 5.6 per attempt.
“It wasn’t our best,” linebacker Danny Trevathan said. “We don’t like the fact that we gave up so much rushing yards. That’s not us at all. We’re gonna get that figured out. I know that for sure.”
It’s hard to be sure of much with the 2020 Bears.
Trubisky contributed to the drama, too, reminding everyone to always exercise extreme caution when buying into him. He was crisp and effective — until he wasn’t.
He completed 15 of 21 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown — a serviceable performance — but jeopardized the game and the season with an interception from the Vikings’ 6-yard line with 3:02 left and the Bears leading just 30-27.
Trubisky fired the ball toward wide receiver Allen Robinson and fourth tight end J.P. Holtz — it was hard to tell who he targeted, but he said it was Robinson — and it sailed to Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler.
“It got away from me a little bit,” Trubisky said. “I could make a little bit better of a throw and also a little bit better of a decision down there.”
Danger lurks with every throw, and that’s part of the thrill. The unpredictability, both of Trubisky and the Bears’ defense, isn’t good, but it does make the Bears interesting. And being interesting is a big improvement from what they were before.
