Chicago Bears place kicker Cairo Santos (8) celebrates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Minnesota Vikings in an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Chicago Bears have built this breakthrough season on the simplest and most effective way to win with a work-in-progress quarterback — a turnover margin that's become the envy of the league.

The Bears are all take and no give these days.

Devin Duvernay's 56-yard kickoff return in the final minute set up Cairo Santos for his fourth field goal of the game, a 48-yarder as time expired that gave the Bears a 19-17 victory on Sunday after the Minnesota Vikings scored the go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds left.

“This isn't the same old Bears,” said safety Kevin Byard, who had one of two interceptions of J.J. McCarthy as Chicago pushed its NFL-leading turnover margin to plus-16 — with 22 takeaways against six giveaways.

Over their seven wins, the Bears (7-3) are a stunning plus-20 in that column. Not coincidentally, they're 3-0 in games decided by two points or fewer and 5-1 when the margin is five or less.

“We always find a way to make it interesting,” Duvernay said. “We just always find a way. Proud of each other.”

After McCarthy ended another erratic performance with five straight completions that culminated with a 15-yard scoring strike to Jordan Addison, Duvernay delivered the clutch response after the Bears blew the 13-point lead they took into the fourth quarter.

Santos made up for his 45-yard miss with 8:08 remaining by drilling the winner after a critical 7-yard rush by D'Andre Swift, who had 21 carries for 90 yards, pushed the ball into a safer range.

“We’ve just kind of cycled around on who’s stepping up to the plate and getting us the win,” first-year coach Ben Johnson said. “I think that’s what good teams do.”

The defense kept the Vikings (4-6) in it the whole way, limiting the Bears to seven of 18 third-down conversions, but the final possession started too deep in their territory to prevent a score.

Caleb Williams, who was drafted by the Bears nine picks ahead of McCarthy last year and is much further down the development road under Johnson, had one of his least effective games this season while going 16 for 32 for 193 yards and scrambling four times for 26 yards. Williams logged yet another turnover-free start, letting the defense handle the more meaningful work.

But this was still a meaningful performance for Williams, following a 27-24 loss at home in the opener to the Vikings that included a blown 17-6 lead early in the fourth quarter.

“The belief that we’ve grown within the locker room is what changed,” said Williams, who has just four interceptions in 10 games with no lost fumbles. “When you have belief, when you have the trust between each other and the guys and things like that, these moments don’t seem too big.”

From elation to frustration

McCarthy, who played with a wrap on his throwing hand after hurting it on a helmet after a follow-through in the previous game, ended consecutive second-quarter possessions with interceptions and had an alarming amount of off-target passes. He finished 16 for 32 for 150 yards and a 47.7 passer rating in his fifth career start, but said adamantly his hand didn't bother him.

McCarthy's mechanics appeared to be a major part of the problem. Though the throw that Byard picked off to set up the first field goal by Santos for a 10-3 lead was unwisely forced for Justin Jefferson into a dangerous area of the zone coverage, McCarthy also acknowledged the pressure from Grady Jarrett didn’t allow him to set his feet properly on that play.

Then on first down from the Chicago 30, McCarthy threw a fade to the back corner of the end zone for Addison that Nahshon Wright, the former Vikings practice squad player who had an interception return for a touchdown off McCarthy in the season opener, secured with a leaping grab before landing on his back with 35 seconds left before halftime.

“I just need to do a better job to make sure the rhythm stays there throughout an entire 60 minutes,” McCarthy said. “There’s definitely things that we did well today, but how can we amplify those things and how can we eliminate the mistakes?”

Injury report

Bears: LB T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) was inactive. Standout CB Jaylon Johnson (groin), who returned to practice this week, missed his eighth straight game.

Vikings: CB Isaiah Rodgers took a big blow from a head-to-head hit in the second quarter. He was checked out for a head injury before returning for the next drive. ... OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder) missed his first game in two seasons.

Up next

The Bears host Pittsburgh next Sunday.

The Vikings play at Green Bay on Sunday.

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