All three phases fell apart when the Chicago Bears allowed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower labeled it a “tale of two halves” for his group’s role in the defeat. With the offense out of sync after the initial drive and the defense failing to stop the run in the fourth quarter, it only added to the collapse.
The quarterbacks’ struggles were well-documented this week. Here’s what stood out for Hightower and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
1. Cairo Santos: ‘That’s on me’ after final kickoff came up short.
Santos missed wide right on a field-goal try from 50 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. Hightower indicated the operation was not “clean enough” on the try.
Later, trailing by three points with 2 minutes, 2 seconds remaining, the Bears passed on attempting an onside kick, and Santos was directed to kick the ball through the end zone, which would’ve resulted in no time coming off the clock. The belief was that Santos would get the kickoff through the end zone and the Bears could use the two-minute warning to their advantage.
Instead, Santos’ kick landed 7 yards deep in the end zone, and Vikings return man Ty Chandler took it out and ate up several precious seconds. As a result, instead of the two-minute warning coming after the Vikings’ first-down play, it came before.
“Coach asked me if (I) think I could do it, and I believed that I could,” Santos said Thursday at Halas Hall. “We were kicking into a little bit of a breeze, so I needed to hit the ball really flush. (I) just left it a couple yards short. So ultimately, that was on me for not doing what I believe that I could have.”
Santos told the Tribune he needed to hit more of a line drive in order to boot it out of the end zone. Coach Ben Johnson also said this week that kicking the ball out of bounds would have been an effective strategy too.
2. Vikings rookie return man did some damage.
Other than Santos’ kickoff at the end of the game, Hightower was happy with how his kickoff coverage team played.
“Brought energy, brought juice,” Hightower said. “Big hits. Rocked the stadium. That was outstanding. Early contributions on punt return and kickoff return from multiple returners. Some really explosive plays. We’re playing good football at that point, right?”
Week 1 photos: Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 24
The punt coverage was a different story. Vikings undrafted rookie Myles Price had a league-high 68 yards on four returns (17-yard average) in Week 1.
“The punt phase, it didn’t carry over,” Hightower said. “We’ve got to be better there. I’ve got to coach it better and we’ve got to be better. We knew that kid (Price) was a really good player.”
3. A blocked punt late in the game cost the Bears field position.
Tory Taylor had a punt deflected by the Vikings’ Eric Wilson, who beat wing Elijah Hicks with a hard move inside.
“We’ve got an experienced guy there that knows the techniques we’re coaching and has done a phenomenal job at it through the years,” Hightower said of Hicks. “He’s started there for a while. He hasn’t had any issues. But it’s not about how many times you’ve done it, it’s about the very next time.”
Hightower expressed the ultimate confidence in Hicks but said “to be determined” when asked if they will have someone new as the wing alongside personal protector Jonathan Owens.
It’s a lot for the Bears to shore up on a short week.
4. Defense needs to focus on the basics.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy runs in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Bears on Sept. 8, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The offense was under the spotlight after a disappointing second half Monday, but the defense played its part in the collapse too. For three quarters, the Bears held the Vikings to six points.
But when the momentum turned in the fourth quarter, it turned in a big way.
Allen said the defense “didn’t do enough” as J.J. McCarthy led the Vikings to three consecutive fourth-quarter touchdowns.
“When momentum starts to swing in the opposite direction, rather than trying to do more, narrow your focus and just focus on the basic fundamentals of playing football,” Allen said. “Get your eyes in the right spot. Do your job and do the things that you’re supposed to do, and don’t try to do too much.”
The Vikings run game picked up steam, and an untimely pass-interference penalty cost the Bears too.
5. Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson expects to play Sunday.
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After missing all of training camp with a groin injury, Johnson was close to a return for Week 1. Ultimately, the Bears decided to give him one more week of rest.
This week, though, Johnson has been a full participant in practice and could be poised for a return Sunday against the Lions in Detroit.
“I feel pretty good just getting that extra week of reps, extra week of conditioning, going through things really just getting up to speed in the playbook,” Johnson said.
The Bears also were without cornerback Kyler Gordon and linebacker T.J. Edwards on Monday. Edwards (hamstring) has been a limited participant in practice this week, including Thursday.
Gordon (hamstring) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (knee) sat out practice Thursday. Cornerback Josh Blackwell (groin), running back Roschon Johnson (foot) and receiver Jahdae Walker (ankle) were listed as limited participants.
Receiver DJ Moore (abdomen/groin) was a full participant Thursday after taking a big hit near the end of the opener.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/11/chicago-bears-cairo-santos-kickoff/
