Broncos come back on Bears, spoil Fields' career day (2024)

By Nick Kosmider, Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns

The Denver Broncos completed a 31-28 comeback win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. Here’s what you need to know:

Chicago quarterback Justin Fields threw for three touchdowns in the first half to put the Bears up 21-7.
But the Broncos scored three straight touchdowns in the second half, including a 35-yard scoop-and-score by Jonathon Cooper in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
Denver kicker Wil Lutz then hit a 51-yard field goal with 1:46 to go, and Fields threw an interception on third-and-13 in the final play to give Denver the win.
Fields finished 28-of-35 for 334 yards with four touchdowns and the interception, while Broncos QB Russell Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
Chicago receiver Chase Claypool was not on the sidelines during the game and was deemed a healthy scratch before kickoff. A Bears spokesperson said the team asked Claypool to stay home.

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The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Wilson brilliant in second-half comeback

When Wilson hit Courtland Sutton for a 13-yard touchdown with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter, cutting Denver’s deficit to 28-21, he pumped his first emphatically three times. It was as animated as the veteran QB has been since arriving in Denver.

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Denver’s defense responds

The first three quarters were largely a nightmare for the Broncos on defense. But the unit came up with three huge plays in the fourth quarter to support Wilson’s brilliant comeback bid. First, with Denver trailing 28-21, Nik Bonitto sacked Fields and forced a fumble. Cooper, a teammate of Fields’ at Ohio State, picked up the ball and returned it for the game-tying touchdown.

Then, with the game tied at 28-28 and the Bears facing a fourth-and-1 at the Broncos 18-yard line with about three minutes left, Alex Singleton stormed into an inside gap and tackled Khalil Herbert for no gain. The Broncos responded with a drive that ended in Lutz’s go-ahead field goal.

Finally, on the Bears’ last-ditch drive, Kareem Jackson intercepted Fields’ pass over the middle to end the game.

This defense still has a lot of problems to fix, but it came up with the plays it had to make in the fourth quarter. — Kosmider

How will we look at Fields’ career afternoon?

Fields did things he’s never done in the NFL — throwing for 300 yards, tossing four touchdown passes, going 16-for-16 to start the game. But his lost fumble led to a Broncos touchdown to tie the game, and the Bears ultimately blew the 21-point lead in a losing effort. Fields also got called for intentional grounding on a would-be score-tying or game-winning drive before throwing the interception that did the Bears in. We saw Fields at his absolute best, and it wasn’t enough, as he made errors and the Bears’ defense continued to be a problem. The Bears are now 0-4. — Fishbain

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Matt Eberflus on the hot seat?

Bears coach Matt Eberflus’ seat might not be hot yet. But it’s worth wondering what new team president Kevin Warren is thinking right now. The Bears don’t fire coaches during the season. Chairman George McCaskey doesn’t like operating that way. But the Bears have now lost 14 games in a row dating back to last season. On Sunday, the Bears’ loss included Eberflus’ decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from Denver’s 18 with 2:57 remaining instead of kicking the field goal in a tied game. Herbert was stopped for no gain. On the Broncos’ next play, Wilson threw a 48-yard pass to receiver Marvin Mims Jr. to get into field goal range for the win. — Jahns

Claypool a disappointing trade for Chicago

The Bears’ decision to trade for Claypool is an early blemish for GM Ryan Poles. Not only did Poles part with a draft pick that turned into the 32nd selection for the Steelers in the 2023 draft but Claypool became a problem for the Bears. The signs were there, too. Claypool wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh before his trade to the Bears. Poles, though, made the move because Fields needed help during last season. It just didn’t work out. — Jahns

What Claypool said

“I wouldn’t say it’s not an ideal place for me,” Claypool said Friday. “Obviously, there’s other places. You can say, ‘Oh, I want to be on the best offense with the highest passing yards.’ But that doesn’t happen in football. You just have to make due with what you got.”

Claypool was also asked what the best place is for him to succeed.

“You know, I’ll let them decide that,” he said. “I’m not going to give any pointers. That’s their job to decide and I’ll just do what they tell me to do.”

GO DEEPER

Broncos-Bears matchup is a reminder there are few easy paths to elite QB play

Highlights of the game

K-JACK CALLED GAME‼️
📺: CBS or @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/2d35c4NBFz
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 1, 2023

SCOOP & SCORE‼️
📺: CBS or @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/Y1lxeA39u6
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 1, 2023

Key stat

The Bears blowing a 21-point lead in their loss Sunday is tied for the largest blown lead in the franchise’s history, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Required reading

(Photo:Michael Reaves / Getty Images)