LAS VEGAS — Before Josh Blackwell made the game-saving block on Daniel Carlson’s 54-yard field goal attempt, the Chicago Bears special teamer had spent all game sizing up the Las Vegas Raiders’ timing.
It was something long snapper Scott Daly spotted on tape and called attention to it.
“Earlier in the week, we had looked at the film and seen they have a little tendency with their snap ability,” Blackwell said. “And we got close (to blocking) the first two kicks. I was like, ‘I’m going to time this one good, I’m going to get this one.’”
Raiders’ long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer snapped to holder AJ Cole, and Blackwell saw that Cole “reset the ball, like, literally a tilt.”
Blackwell sprang in from the Raiders’ right edge and went airborne to block Carlson’s kick.
“I got a good jump,” he said with a smile.
Chicago Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell blocks a kick from Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson to give the Bears a 25-24 win over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, Sept. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Knowing he clinched the game for the Bears, an improbable 25-24 squeaker at Allegiant Stadium, it was an “out-of-body experience,” Blackwell said.
“I was just too excited. I just took off right down the field” to celebrate with teammates in the end zone.
Noah Sewell was behind the line of scrimmage and jumped up to try to block the ball himself before it dawned on him what Blackwell had already done. Then he started jumping up and down like a kid alongside Elijah Hicks.
“That feeling,” Sewell paused. “Nothing can describe it. Coming down to the line like that, Josh stepping up, you can’t describe those feelings.”
Tenth-year veteran safety Kevin Byard III called it one of the best wins he has been involved with in his career. “Everybody hugging, jumping in the air, going crazy.
“I’m just happy for (Blackwell) in this moment to be able to help this team win this ballgame. It was huge for him.”
With the Bears offense struggling to crack the end zone, especially in the first half, it was special teams and defense that played pivotal roles in the Bears’ victory, sending them into the Week 5 bye with a 2-2 record.
“We (the offense) didn’t do our part in those senses of being able to go score and create momentum for us,” Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. “But the defense, they stood strong for us. Special teams stood strong for us.
“We all came together in the end and came out victorious.”
Chicago Bears free safety Kevin Byard intercepts a pass in the second quarter of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 28, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Cairo Santos made all four of his field goal attempts, including two from beyond 50 yards.
The defense intercepted Raiders quarterback Geno Smith three times, including a pair of picks by Byard, his first multiple-interception game since the former Tennessee Titan picked off Dak Prescott twice during a 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 29, 2022.
“Not to brag, but it was my fourth multi-interception game,” Byard said with a wry smile.
But Byard was humbled by his inability to return either pick for a touchdown: “That was terrible return skills by me. Pretty embarrassing.
“The first one was even worse than the second one. I should have just stayed up the sideline. I know I’m going to get a lot of jokes in the meeting room about that.”
Tyrique Stevenson also recovered a fumble by Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty in the first quarter.
The Bears defense and special teams endured their challenges, too.
A group of Chicago Bears tackle Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty in the third quarter of a game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 28, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Jeanty has had a sluggish start to his rookie season, topping out at 63 yards rushing against the Washington Commanders last week, but on Sunday, the Bears could do little to slow him down.
Jeanty produced 155 yards from scrimmage, including 138 yards on the ground, and three touchdowns.
“To be real, we have to be a lot better in the run defense,” Byard said.
Byard saw firsthand how hard it is to bring down Jeanty when he failed to wrap the rookie’s legs on a 64-yard touchdown run.
“That’s a play that I’ve made in my career probably 10 times out of 10. That guy has elite contact balance. … He’s going to be a really good back in this league.”
After the Bears went ahead 25-24 on D’Andre Swift 2-yard run and failed on a 2-point conversion, special teams allowed Dylan Laube to return the kickoff 38 yards to the Las Vegas 42-yard line.
That was prime real estate the Bears couldn’t afford to give away when the Raiders had 1:27 left and just needed a field goal to win.
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But Blackwell said the Bears didn’t panic or sink into here-we-go-again.
“To outside, maybe. Not to us,” Blackwell said. “I think we have that ability to stick together and have that belief.
“(Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower) looked at us on the sideline and (said) ‘We gotta block it’ — before we even got on defense. So that’s what we were going to do.”
Byard noted the Raiders were equally desperate not to leave Sunday’s game with a 1-3 record.
In those tight moments, the Bears have invented ways to fail.
“If you look at the history of this team over the last few years, you get the Bears in close games, a lot of times the other team feels confident that we’re going to find a way to mess it up.
“And I think just as a team today, just to continue to fight and battle for 60 minutes, it gives us confidence going into the next time we have a close game, that we can find a way to win,” Byard said. “Somebody’s going to make a play. And that’s just what this league is: Somebody has to make a play, and Blackwell was the one that made a play today.”
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