CHICAGO — The Bears were in control of the division rival Minnesota Vikings for most of Monday's season opener at Soldier Field only to see their efforts squandered in a 27-24 loss.
That fast start by Chicago was sparked by quarterback Caleb Williams in his first regular-season game under new coach Ben Johnson. After going his entire rookie season without leading a touchdown drive on the Bears' opening possession, Williams recorded his first career rushing touchdown and Chicago's first opening-drive TD since the 2023 campaign.
He did so by completing his first 10 passes, which marked the longest streak by a Bears quarterback to start a season opener since 1978 and the most consecutive completions in Williams' NFL career. It helped the Bears carry a four-point lead into halftime that extended to a 17-6 margin after cornerback Nahshon Wright recorded a pick-six in the third quarter.
But as penalties, execution issues and mistakes piled up in the second half, Chicago's inability to close out another opponent felt reminiscent of previous seasons.
«We felt like we were dominating the game, like you said,» Williams said. «We were in control up to two scores coming out of half. That mentality is something that we have, something that we preach. That didn't happen today. It's not a playcall thing. It's not anything like that. It's just being able to go out there and execute the plays that are called, be able to execute them at a high level. That's something we take pride in.
»Today, that didn't happen."
Monday night marked Chicago's fourth loss in the past four seasons when entering the fourth quarter with a double-digit lead. The Bears have twice as many of those losses as any other team over that span.
«I think you certainly
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