Sunday felt like Groundhog’s Day again for the Chicago Bears in Minneapolis.

Once again, the Bears failed to put away a worse team when it had plenty of opportunities Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. But once again, Chicago found a dramatic way to win in the final minutes. This time, kicker Cairo Santos knocked in a 48-yard field goal as time expired to secure a 19-17 win.

Sunday was far from a perfect performance. Quarterback Caleb Williams, the offense and special teams couldn’t make enough plays in the fourth quarter to put the game away for good. Meanwhile, the defense blew a 13-point lead that led to another dramatic finish.

But the Bears found another improbable way to win to improve to 7-3. Here are the five big takeaways from another thrilling late-game victory.

Nahshon Wright’s special moment

When Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright made an impressive play during Sunday’s game, he needed a minute after to appreciate the moment.

The play came late in the second quarter when Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy tried to sneak in a pass to wide receiver Jordan Addison in the end zone. Wright read the play perfectly and leapt backwards to intercept the pass. As he held on to the ball, he went to the back of the end zone, bent down on one knee and needed a moment as his teammates surrounded him.

The strong reaction came after Wright received horrible news Thursday. He learned that his former college football coach at Laney College, John Beam, had been shot that day. Beam died the because of the gunshot wound. Wright had recently spent time with Beam the weekend his brother and the New Orleans Saints were in Chicago last month.

It’s why that moment, a hug with defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator Al Harris after the interception and being named honorary captain against his former team meant so much to Wright. The cornerback appreciated the support from Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his coaching staff.

“It meant a lot,” Wright said of the honorary captain role. “I appreciate coach Ben and whoever else thought to put make me the captain. It was definitely cool.”

Kevin Byard’s continued rejuvenation

Veteran safety Kevin Byard put together another impressive performance Sunday in what’s been a big rebound season for the veteran.

Byard stole some momentum in the second quarter when he read McCarthy’s eyes perfectly and stepped in front of a pass. He returned the ball to the Minnesota 25 yard line and the Bears knocked in a field goal to take a 10-3 lead.

The pick was Byard’s fifth of the season and the fourth time he’s intercepted at least five passes in a year. The last time he intercepted five passes in a year was 2021 with the Tennessee Titans. His career-high came with the Titans in 2017 when he was a Pro Bowler with the team.

For most of this season, Byard has credited his success with the film he watches in order to prepare for games. That’s been something he’s done his entire career.

“I’ve always know what type of player that I am in this league,” Byard said. “Obviously, the past couple years haven’t had the ball production, but at the end of the day, I’ve never waned in my confidence.”

More tight end involvement

Bears fans finally got something they had asked for most of the season from Johnson’s play calling Sunday: more tight end involvement.

Both Cole Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland made an impact in the offense. The duo combined for 85 receiving yards on eight catches and nine targets. They both finished top-three in each of those categories Sunday.

They also made an impact in different ways. Kmet caught all five of his targets for 45 and made physical plays to move the ball down the field. Loveland caught three of his four targets for 40 yards, with his longest reception coming at 24 yards in the fourth quarter.

It’s a step in the right direction. Both tight ends have dealt with injuries that has stopped the Bears from playing them together a lot this season. But if Sunday was any indication, Williams has trust that both of his tight ends can make impactful catches on top of their run blocking.

“We got the guys that we need to do, whatever we need to do to win a game,” Williams said. “They’re special. They’re talented. They make plays for us when it counts and when it matters.”

Luther Burden III earns a bigger role

Johnson said last week that he felt rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III had earned the trust of both Williams and the coaching staff with his play over the past few weeks to earn more targets. Those looks started Sunday.

Burden didn’t have to wait long to get involved. He earned the second passing target of the game and caught the team’s first pass during the Bears’ second drive, though it went for minus three yards. Burden also came up with an explosive play on third down to pick up 16 yards and a first down in the third quarter. He finished the game with 27 receiving yards on three receptions and five targets.

Those targets came at a cost for one of his teammates. Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus was less involved Sunday a week after he dropped a few passes against the New York Giants. Williams didn’t target Zaccheaus once Sunday.

Burden was excited to get more of a role in Sunday’s win. But he still planned on working harder to ensure those opportunities continue to come.

“I’m gonna keep pushing regardless,” Burden told Shaw Local News Network. “Man, whatever is drawn, I’m going to find a way to come back, get better, and just try to get more playing time. Don’t get the ball, whatever it got to be, whatever I gotta do, block. [I’m] just trying to find ways to win.”

Mixed special teams performance

While special teams saved the day Sunday, Minnesota took advantage on some sloppy special teams play to stay in Sunday’s game.

The biggest gaff came at the start of the fourth quarter. Vikings returner Myles Price returned a punt 43 yards to the Chicago 24 after Minnesota’s defense had sacked Williams twice on the previous possession. Jordan Mason rushed in for a 16-yard touchdown to make it a 16-10 Chicago lead with 12:33 left in the game.

It was also a mixed day kicking the ball. Santos made four of his five field goal attempts but missed one for 45 yards in the fourth quarter. Punter Tory Taylor also struggled at times and averaged 47.7 yards per punt.

Special teams players like Devin Duvernay were proud of their unit’s response after a rocky start.

“We’re not just there just to be there,” Duvernay said. “We’re there to impact games and hopefully win the game for the team. It’s not always pretty, but [special team coordinator Richard Hightower] just preaches staying with it and that we can help this team win.”