Bears beat Patriots because of Ben Johnson's gutsy call

Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images

Bears beat Patriots because of Ben Johnson's gutsy call

Originally posted on Lindy's Sports | By Eman Zahra | Last updated Oct 23, 2026 5:07 PM ET

They got all three and finished the night 5-2, per Yahoo Sports. The Patriots fell to 4-3.

Santos had just bounced a 53-yard attempt off the upright in the fourth quarter, so nobody could blame the Soldier Field crowd for flinching when he lined up for 58. He made it anyway, tying a Bears record and giving Chicago a nine-point lead, according to NBC Chicago.

Adam Schefter flagged the decision as a gutsy call by coach Ben Johnson, and it was. A miss would have given New England the ball in good field position. Johnson trusted a kicker who had just clanged one.

Caleb Williams was sharp in his second game back from injury

Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns, rg.org reports. It was his second game since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him three games. The team’s recap shows he came back in a 31-23 win in Atlanta.

In the Patriots’ game, two of his throws stood out in the live coverage. Yahoo’s updates show him escaping trouble to find Rome Odunze for a first down, and Colston Loveland hauled in a key fourth-down catch. On the other side, Devin Bush made a sharp open-field tackle on Drake Maye on third-and-6.

Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns.Michael Reaves / Getty Images

The Patriots made it uncomfortable until the final seconds.

New England got within six, and Chicago had to recover an onside kick with 30 seconds left to finish it, NBC Chicago says. The same report notes the game had the most expensive tickets of any NFL game so far this season, and the crowd got its money’s worth.

The Bears’ own recap says Chicago has shown a knack for overcoming trouble under Johnson. That’s been true all year. It’s four wins in five games now.

The win came with a cost that matters more than the score

Two Bears were hurt. Cornerback Malik Muhammad was ruled doubtful to return with a toe injury. More significantly, tight end Cole Kmet was carted off in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. His status is covered in a separate story, but it shapes how the Bears’ offense looks from here.

At 5-2, Chicago is in a strong position.

The question is whether a team with a growing injury list can keep this pace through the deadline and into the second half. This game showed the upside: an offense with a healthy quarterback, a kicker who can be trusted, and a coach who bets on his guys. Whether that holds will depend on who’s still standing in November.

This article first appeared on Lindy's Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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