Chicago Bears Score and Recap (Week 4): Bears 25, Raiders 24 – Late Comeback, Blocked Kick Lead to Victory
The Bears and Raiders played a very sloppy but competitive game at Allegiant Stadium Sunday afternoon that went down to the wire. Chicago took the lead in the final two minutes and used a blocked field goal to preserve a one-point win.
Safety Kevin Byard set up the first score of the game when he intercepted quarterback Geno Smith and the Bears turned it into a 46-yard Cairo Santos field goal. Then it was Vegas’ turn to convert a turnover into points when star defensive end Maxx Crosby intercepted Caleb Williams and Smith turned it into an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Ashton Jeanty that gave the home team a 7-3 advantage.
Byard got a second pick deep in Raiders territory in the second quarter but again the Bears could only muster a 43-yard Santos field goal to get within one at 7-6. Jeanty displayed the talent that made him a top 10 selection in the 2025 draft by breaking a 64-yard touchdown run that gave the Silver and Black a 14-6 edge.
Chicago got what turned out to be a very important three points when Santos connected from 52-yards out right before halftime to make it a 14-9 game. The road team kept that momentum going out of the break with Tyrique Stevenson intercepting Smith on the first play of the half.
The Bears did not settle for a field goal on this drive, however, with Williams hitting Rome Odunze for a go-ahead 27-yard touchdown pass to give his team a 16-14 lead. The Raiders responded immediately on the ensuing possession, driving down the field and going back in front on Jeanty’s third TD of the game via another short pass from Smith.
Both sides traded field goals to begin the fourth quarter and the score was 24-19 Vegas with about six minutes left in the game. Chicago’s young quarterback led his team on a very nice 69-yard drive capped off by a short touchdown run by running back D’Andre Swift. The two point conversion failed and the road team clung to a 25-24 advantage with 1:34 left on the clock.
The Raiders got a good kick off return and quickly got into range for kicker Daniel Carlson to attempt a 54-yard game-winning field goal. At that point, the Bears’ special-teams saved the game with Josh Blackwell blocking the kick to seal the 25-24 victory. (Box score)
Why the Bears Won
They created turnovers and the offense came up big when they needed it late.
Key Moment
The defense was definitely shaky but they kept Vegas on the edge of field-goal range on that final drive to make the kick much more difficult. The result was a blocked kick that won the game.
Stats That Matter
- Williams did not get much help from his line including a couple of bad snaps from the center. That said, he made a lot of big plays with 212 yards passing, a touchdown, and an interception.
- Odunze led the Bears receivers with 69 yards and a touchdown.
- Santos made all four of his FG, including two of them from over 50 yards.
Bottom Line
The Bears did not fold when things were not going their way in the second half. They overcame some sloppy football and pulled out a hard-fought victory. That was something they had a lot of difficulty doing the past several years. Hopefully this is a sign Ben Johnson is starting to change the culture at Hallas Hall.
Next Up
The Bears have their bye week before heading to Washington October 13 for Monday Night Football against the Commanders starting at 7:15pm on ABC.
