Williams' late heroics propel Bears over Giants

Mike Dinovo - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 3 hours ago

CHICAGO - Leave it to the Chicago Bears (6-3) to make the New York Giants (2-8) look like one of the best teams in the game. In what looked and felt like a late December game at Soldier Field, the Bears had put on an ugly showing against the Giants, one that would often lead to a loss.

It's not too often that a team can turn the ball over on downs three times in the same game and live to tell about it, but that is exactly what the Bears did on Sunday. Trailing the Giants by 10 late in the fourth, it was Caleb Williams putting the team on his back and taking over down the stretch.

What started with a short touchdown pass to Rome Odunze, which pulled the Bears within three, was followed by the longest touchdown run of Williams' career with under two minutes to go, as that was the difference in the Bears' 24-20 victory over the Giants. While the play of Williams led to the win, the key moment of the game was when the rookie Jaxson Dart was lost for the game with a concussion after throwing for 242 yards and rushing for a pair of touchdowns.

If he doesn't get hurt, you have to think the Giants win this game, but the Bears will take the wins any way they can get them. Given the weather conditions, with snow falling and gusty Lake Michigan winds, you had a sense that this would be a sloppy game. With both teams turning it over on downs to open the game, that was indeed the case.

It was on the Bears' second possession when things began to change as Rome Odunze helped the Bears offense get rolling with a pair of first-down catches as part of his team-high 86-yard and one-touchdown day. One play after picking up his second first down of the drive, it was another rookie, Kyle Monangai, finishing things off as his eight-yard touchdown gave the Bears a 7-0 lead.

Those were the only points of the first quarter, but after a pair of punts, one from each team, it was time for Dart and the Giants' offense to get rolling as they began to settle into a groove. Leave it to Darius Slayton to make the plays as he came down with a massive one-handed catch to move the chains before coming away with another big first-down reception to set the Giants up. Slayton led all wide receivers with 89 yards, but it was Dart finishing the drive off from three yards out with his first of two touchdown runs.

Both teams had opportunities to score late in the first half, with Odunze and Wan'Dale Robinson coming up with huge first-down catches. However, neither team was able to capitalize, as two more turnovers on downs resulted in no points. All was not lost for the Giants, as they managed to convert a field goal late in the first half to take a 10-7 lead, which is where things stood at the break.

Looking to build on what was a strong finish to the first half, the Giants' offense received the ball to start the second half and continued to move the ball well. Tyrone Tracy played a role in that with his 71 yards on 14 carries, but once again it was Dart coming away with a big play as he broke free for the 24-yard touchdown run to push the Giants' lead to 17-7. Dart finished the game with 66 yards rushing and 242 yards passing before being knocked out of the game with a concussion.

Before that, Dart was trying to put his team in position to score again, only to have CJ Gardner-Johnson force the fumble with Nahson Wright recovering. Chicago turned that drive into points with a 22-yard Cairo Santos field goal, but with the Giants tacking on a field goal of their own to begin the fourth, Chicago found themselves down 20-10.

Dart was knocked out of the game as part of that field goal drive and was replaced by Russell Wilson, which was the turning point in the game. Once Wilson entered the game, the Giants' offense went completely south as they picked up a total of seven yards across their final three possessions, which left the door open for Williams and the Bears.

Not only did the Bears start to knock that door open with a huge first-down reception from Coleston Loveland, but with Odunze hauling in a two-yard touchdown pass to cap off a nine-play, 91-yard drive, it was the Bears pulling within 20-17, as all the momentum was on their side. Following another quick three-and-out by the Giants, the ball was back in the hands of the offense with a chance for Williams to deliver in the clutch.

What started with a seven-yard run from D'Andre Swift, who had another solid 13-carry 80 80-yard day, was followed up by a 27-yard strike to Luther Burden as the Bears were in field goal range. Two plays later, and it was Williams making another play with his legs as he got outside the numbers to race down the sidelines for the 17-yard score, putting the Bears up 24-20 with less than two minutes to go.

That would be all the Bears would need as Wilson and the Giants' offense had one last opportunity to make things happen, only to turn the ball over on downs once again, sealing the deal for the Bears' 24-20 win. With the win, the Bears improve to 6-3, and depending on the outcomes of the Packers' and Lions' games, they could be in sole possession of the NFC North on Monday.