The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants, 24-20, to advance to 6-3 on the season, where they’ve won six of their last seven games.
For most of the game, Chicago didn’t look to be the playoff guarantee that folks were hoping they’d be. The four-game winning streak was filled with miracle wins, which may or may not be sustainable down the stretch.
The last two weeks, despite another miracle win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the process, have shown that there is still a ton of work to do. Ben Johnson is a rookie head coach, the team is young, and they haven’t been good in a long time, so it isn’t all that surprising to see them in this position as often as they are.
Early in the game, rookie running back Kyle Monangai gave the Bears a 7-0 lead. From there, the Giants started to take over the game and held a two-score game for much of third quarter. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense mounted two touchdown drives, including a 91-yard drive that resulted in a 2-yard score from Williams to receiver Rome Odunze. Williams then scored the game-winning touchdown on a 17-yard run.
Their defense wasn’t as bad as it was against the Bengals a week ago, but they didn’t keep the Giants from scoring enough points to stay in the game. Jaxson Dart, who shredded the defense, left the game early with a concussion, and Russell Wilson came in and didn’t play well. This swing in momentum following Dart’s injury allowed the Bears to take over. That’s another late-game victory for the Bears to hang their hat on.
Although it wasn’t the most dominant performance for Williams, he continues to come in clutch when it matters most for the Bears. Williams completed 20 of 36 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 63 yards and a score.
Once again, Williams drove his team down the field with a chance to win, regardless of how the overall game went for the Bears’ offense. Right now, there are plenty of reasons to see him as a guy they can win with. As the team improves, he will continue to improve with them.
No matter what, Chicago is going to struggle their way to results, whether it’s wins or losses. They are an up-and-coming team that has a lot of learning to do. For yet another week, the Bears found a way to win a game that had its warts on both sides of the ball.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis from Bears’ win vs. Giants
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
