The Chicago Bears did the unthinkable and won a game against a divisional opponent for the first time in almost two seasons. They are now 1-9 against NFC North opponents under Matt Eberflus. While it was an ugly win, and many fans are worried about their draft position, it was important to see this team make plays when they had to in order to close out a game for once.
The defense deserves just about all of the credit for this win as they were able to force four turnovers and kept the Viking offense in a box for most of the night, putting the late touchdown drive aside. The offense was stagnant behind another terrible gameplan from Luke Getsy, who will make an appearance on the other list this week.
Another shoutout goes to Cairo Santos, who missed his first field goal but scored all of the points for the Bears, including a much-needed 55-yard field goal and the game-winning 30-yarder to win it. He has quietly been one of the most consistent players over the last two years and has been one of the best kickers in the game as well.
Chicago Bears Week 12 Winner No. 1: Jaylon Johnson
After a subpar game against the Lions compared to the kind of work Jaylon Johnson normally does for the Bears, he responded with one of his best outings of his season against the Vikings. He finished the game with two total tackles, but his coverage was what Bears fans and himself expected. He had a season-high three passes defended to go along with a great interception. He should have had another interception, which would probably have gone for a pick-six, but he unfortunately dropped it. Still, Johnson was all over the place and looked like the All-Pro corner he aspires to be this season.
The interception he had was highlight-worthy with how he baited Josh Dobbs to throw a crossing route and then undercut the pass. He showed as if he was going to follow a slant but backed off and was in a perfect position to make a play on the football. While plays are expected from Johnson, finishing a strong play with an interception is what has been the biggest criticism of him. Johnson now has a career-high three picks this season, and it should be even more than that.
Johnson showed why offenses usually stay away from him in the passing game. He has been a more physical and confident player this season, and it has translated to his individual production. This is the type of outing that could kick Ryan Poles in the direction of a mutually beneficial extension offer. Johnson needs to build off of this to potentially get him that All-Pro nod.