Fans know what they felt watching the Chicago Bears pull off a stunner in Denver. This after having everything conspire against them. Awful roughness penalties. A late touchdown allowed. A missed extra point wiped out by a horrific offsides penalty, leading to a two-point conversion that lost them the lead. Then it seemed like the football gods suddenly changed their minds. A roughing the passer penalty, a 4th and 15 conversion, and a 53-yard field goal all in the span of 31 seconds helped result in the craziest finish to a game this team has seen in over a decade.
What people never got a grasp of was what happened on the sidelines during the entire affair. This is where the beauty of NFL Films can often come into play. The Bears-Broncos bonanza was the subject of the studio’s popular “Turning Point” series that covered the final minute of that contest. It shows Denver taking the lead off of two outstanding plays by Emmanuel Sanders and the mood along the Bears sideline afterward.
What may shock many is the team wasn’t down in any way. That’s because head coach Matt Nagy had planned for such an eventuality. He’d made sure leading up to the game that his players watched the conclusion of the Houston-New Orleans contest the previous week. One that saw the Texans go ahead by one on a late touchdown, only to watch the Saints drive into field goal range with just 37 seconds left to steal it at the end.
This would explain why the Bears didn’t panic. They saw their chance, however slim, and seized it.
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Chicago Bears already showing they have grit
Did the Bears catch a break with the phantom penalty on Denver to start the final drive? Sure. That doesn’t mean they have to apologize for it. They were on the receiving end of two equally horrific calls earlier in the game. Bad calls will happen. How a team responds to them is what matters. Denver still had their opportunity at the end. They’d forced Chicago back into a last gasp 4th and 15. Then when their defense needed it most, they couldn’t get the stop.
That’s how this game goes.
Chicago isn’t going to lament on how lucky they were. Wins are hard enough to come by in this league. They’re going to take the win, learn what mistakes they made and how to correct them, and push forward. Hopefully, the upcoming matchup with the Redskins in Washington isn’t nearly as dramatic. Bears fans probably can’t take a full season of finishes like that.
