Bear Digest

Josh Blackwell's blocked field goal lets Bears slip past Raiders

It was a day of big defensive and special teams plays for the Bears in Las Vegas, as they pulled out a 25-24 win in a game they probably had no business getting.
Gene Chamberlain|
Rome Odunze hauls in a pass along the sidelines and breaks free for a gain in Sunday's first half in Las Vegas.
Rome Odunze hauls in a pass along the sidelines and breaks free for a gain in Sunday's first half in Las Vegas. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

For most of Sunday's game, the Bears' greatest and only dependable weapon was the Las Vegas Raiders' offense and quarterback Geno Smith in particular.

Then, when they needed it most, they had offense and yet another big play but this one from their special teams to earn a 25-24 victory as they improved to 2-2 going into their bye week.

Josh Blackwell's block of a 54-yard Daniel Carlson field goal try with 38 seconds remaining gave the Bears the win after D'Andre Swift's 2-yard touchdown run with 1:34 remaining ended a 69-yard drive and put them ahead for good.

It was yet another example of how far Caleb Williams has come as a quarterback as he led them from behind twice in the second half for the win. He finished 22 of 37 for 212 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Earlier, the Bears looked like someone squandering house money in Vegas as they had the ball four times in Las Vegas territory after turnovers, including two Kevin Byard interceptions and one by Tyrique Stevenson, but could only settle for Cairo Santos field goals.much of the time. They managed Cairo Santos field goals of 46, 43 and 52 yards and 51yards.

The 51-yarder got them within 21-19 but Carlson countered with a 29-yarder. But then Williams led the march to the winning points with 24 scrambling yards and a key 17-yard completion to Rome Odunze at the 13-yard line. Swift scored on third-and-4 but after a failed two-point try the Raiders moved into position for the winning points.

Blackwell came off the left edge and blocked the kick for the win.

The opportunities were there for a big Bears lead but they didn't get to positive rushing yards themselves until just before halftime. And after spending all week saying they couldn't let Maxx Crosby wreck the game and Ashton Jeanty get going, they let Crosby wreck the game and Jeanty take over the game.

Jeanty ran for 138 yards on 21 carries, broke a 64-yard TD run, caught TD passes of 8 and 9 yards and the Bears still had an answer using Ozzy Trapilo at right tackle and Theo Benedet at left tackle throughout the second half.

There are still problems. They had only 69 rushing yards and gave up 240 on the ground themselves. The three interceptions and also a fumble forced by Andrew Billings on a Raiders first-half fourth down gamble for another takeaway helped keep the game close.

Odunze's four catches for 69 yards and a fifth straight game with a TD catch, a 27-yarder in the first half, helped along the passing game that was almost as anemic as the running attack at times in the first half

It's not the kind of performance the Bears will be proud of, but for Ben Johnson's first road win and a road win of any kind it will do while they try to get back injured Kyler Gordon, T.J. Edwards, Colston Loveland and Darnell Wright after the break.

X: BearsOnSI

Published | Modified
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.