LAS VEGAS -- As the Las Vegas Raiders lined up for a 54-yard field goal attempt with 38 seconds remaining Sunday, trailing 25-24, Chicago Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell leaned on the intel he received from his teammate, Scott Daly.
Daly, the Bears long-snapper, gave a player report during the week on the Raiders' field goal unit and disclosed a tendency he spotted on film. It appeared subtle, but Las Vegas long-snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer would sometimes move the ball before snapping it on point-after attempts and field goals. Blackwell knew if he saw it in the game, he could get a jump on the snap and have a chance to block a kick.
This tiny detail paid off in a big way when Blackwell burst off the left edge and dove to block Daniel Carlson's 54-yard field goal attempt, securing the Bears' wild win.
"It's an incredible win, and that's just a testament to the team we have," Blackwell said. "I think we stacked a good week of practice and we kind of got this quote-unquote monkey off our back that we're not the 'same old Bears', we're different."
Instead of going back to Chicago on the familiar end of a heartbreaking loss and with a losing record, the Bears (2-2) head into their Week 5 bye encouraged.
Since he arrived in Chicago in 2022, Blackwell has been part of his fair share of losses that resembled how the Raiders felt on Sunday. He's experienced failure to close out a game because of missed opportunities and gut-wrenching losses being cemented on the final play.
That was the theme of the 2024 season for the Bears, from a tipped Hail Mary in Washington to a blocked field goal against the Packers to letting the clock run out in Detroit with a chance to win.
Rewriting the narrative around their ability to close out opponents amid in-game struggles is a central theme to the changes taking place under first-year Bears coach Ben Johnson.
"I'm proud of our guys," Johnson said. "They came through for us. We're building something special here, and I think they're feeling it, just the belief they have in each other, the belief they have in this coaching staff, I thought it really showed through.
"This is a huge win for our team, finding a way in the fourth quarter to come out on top. I just thought that was outstanding for us."
The Bears' offense was stuck in a rut until halftime. Quarterback Caleb Williams was 2-for-7 with an interception in the first quarter while averaging 1.6 yards per attempt. Chicago's defense came away with two interceptions and recovered a fumble, yet the offense generated six points off two field goals.
Pre-snap penalties -- six of them on offense -- continued to stifle momentum. The run game netted just 2 yards in the first half. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby ran through Chicago's offensive line from multiple spots and terrorized Williams when he made his way into the backfield.
"It's easy to get frustrated, but we don't panic," Johnson said. "I could see where the defense would get frustrated with the offense, and the offense frustrated with ourselves. That didn't happen. Everybody stayed the course, no one panicked whatsoever.
"I thought we came in at halftime and we hit that reset button. That's what we talked about, take a deep breath, and let's come out and play for 30 minutes and find a way to win."
Williams completed 20 of his 30 pass attempts after a rough first quarter. After failing to connect with Rome Odunze in the first half, Williams sent a 27-yard pass over the middle of the field to his top wideout on Chicago's first possession of the third quarter. The touchdown pass wrested back the lead for the Bears and sparked a back-and-forth battle.
The Bears defense came away with four turnovers, a bright spot on a day when they let Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty explode onto the scene with a 3-touchdown day while Vegas racked up 240 rushing yards.
On the Raiders' second-to-last possession, deep in Chicago territory, the Bears held them to a field goal.
As Williams and the offense got ready to take the field, Johnson shared a moment of encouragement.
"I remember talking to Caleb before he took the field," Johnson said. "I said, 'This is what you're built for', and these are the moments that he thrives in the most.
"I think that's really been the story of his life, to be honest with you and I know he came through for us in a big way."
Williams strung together an 11-play, 69-yard game-winning drive, and running back D'Andre Swift -- despite a disastrous day on the ground -- found the end zone on a 2-yard run to give the Bears the go-ahead touchdown.
As Swift put his fingers up to his lips to silence the home-team crowd in a stadium overrun by Bears fans, the veteran back felt the shift that was taking place.
"Maybe the good luck is on our side this time going around," Swift said.
Chicago has plenty to sort through during its bye week self-scout. Whether Braxton Jones will come back as the left tackle in Washington in Week 6 after being pulled before halftime in Las Vegas is one of the biggest decisions Johnson will have to make. Figuring out ways to build consistency on offense is multifaceted, from eliminating penalties to finding effective ways to establish the run.
But for now, Johnson's proof of concept seems to be paying off. The Bears aren't following the same script that played out a year ago when ugly games led to predictable losses in devastating fashion. Taking a rough day at the office and coming away with a "grimy" win proved something to Williams.
"I think being able to portray the belief that, 'Guys, this is all we got, it's all we need. We're not in a favorable position,'" Williams said. "We're down. It's all 11 of us on the field, and we got to go do a job. The belief, the trust, the hard work that we put in, those are the moments that you wish for. Those are moments that you dream about. So, being able to have those moments and come through is important, for one, the confidence. Especially in the moment where it's not a favorable position. You're away, you're down, you got to go win the game.
"So, it's a confidence builder, it's a culture builder for us."