4th Quarter Fumble costs Bears, loses to Vikings, 29-22

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Kirk Cousins ​​hit a quarterback keeper 2:26 in the fourth quarter, Ihmir Smith-Marsette fumbled the football away 74 seconds later and the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears 29:22 on Sunday.

After trailing 21-3 with just over 6 minutes left in the second quarter, the Bears hit back, scoring four straight goals in the second and third quarters.

Justin Fields connected with Darnell Mooney with a one-handed circus catch for 39 yards before David Montgomery hit him from 9 yards, leaving 1:08 in the first half, making the score 21-10 at halftime.

Justin Fields maintained a rhythm coming out of the tunnel in the second half, scoring twice for 15+ yards with Equanimous St. Brown and Cole Kmet before hitting Velus Jones Jr. with a 9-yard touchdown pass hit almost five minutes into the start of the third.

The Bears came up short with a two-point conversion after Dante Pettis failed to find the goal line on a Fields pass, but Minnesota missed their second straight field goal before Cairo Santos started one of his own to make it a two -Score game to make in favor of Vikings, 21-19.

The Bears’ defense was followed by Santos’ second field goal of the day with a Kindle Vildor interception against Cousins ​​at the 12:54 mark in the fourth quarter.

Chicago took the lead 3 minutes later with Cairo Santos’ third field goal of the day, this time a 51-yarder through the posts to knock the Bears by a lead 22-21.

But just like Cousins ​​did against the New Orleans Saints last week and the Detroit Lions two weeks ago, he led a comeback drive late in the fourth to reclaim the lead.

Cousins ​​led the Vikings down the field in a meticulous 17-game, 7-minute 17-minute drive, culminating in Cousins ​​hitting a QB sneak from a yard in 3rd place and 2:26 ahead scored a goal in the end. Perhaps adding the icing on the metaphorical cake, Cousins ​​found Justin Jefferson for the two-point conversion to give the Vikings a 29-22 lead.

Fields showed some Moxy on the Bears’ final drive of the game, finding David Montgomery for 21 yards on the 2nd and 21 in a game after taking a sack on the first down.

The prospects looked even more promising after Fields found Smith-Marsette for 15 yards on the next play, but Smith-Marsette was snatched the football from Minnesota’s Cameron Dantzler Sr. with 1:12 remaining to concede a loss to the Bears seal.

Justin Fields ended Day 15/21 for 208 passing yards and a TD while pacing 8 times for 47 yards on the ground. David Montgomery had 12 carries for 20 yards and a TD while catching 4 passes for 62 yards through the air.

The loss moves the Bears record to 2-3 on the year, 0-2 in the NFC North. Chicago’s next game is on Thursday night, October 13 against the Washington Commanders.