The Magnificent 7

Seven players who made the biggest impact in the Bears' 19-17 victory over the Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium:

1. Devin Duvernay

The veteran kick returner had not made a big impact this season outside of a 49-yard kick return against the Ravens in Week 8, but came up with a clutch return that set the stage for another dramatic Bears comeback. His 56-yard kickoff return to the Vikings 40 with 42 seconds to play — following J.J. McCarthy's 16-yard touchdown pass that gave the Vikings a 17-16 lead with 50 seconds left — put the Bears immediately in field goal range, and led to Cairo Santos' 48-yard game-winner as time expired. One of these days, coaches will embrace the notion that you can score too early even in the final minute. Even without Duvernay's return, the Bears would have had 45 seconds and two time outs to get 40 or so yards – well within the range of the Bears' offense. Duvernay's return just added emphasis to that reality.

2. Cairo Santos

He helped set up his own walk-off heroics by missing a 45-yard field goal that would have given the Bears a 19-10 lead with 8:08 to play in the fourth quarter, but it was that kind of day for the Bears. Santos's limited range makes some Bears fans nervous, but he had enough range Sunday — including a comfortable 54-yarder that gave the Bears a 13-3 lead in the third quarter. (Santos became the Bears' all-time leader in field goals of 50 or more yards with his 24th (our of 33 attempts, 72.7%) — one more than Robbie Gould.) Still, the key play on the winning drive might have been Swift's seven-yard run that turned a 55-yard attempt into a 48-yard attempt, which Santos hit with nearly 11 or 12 inches to spare. Overall, Santos made 4 of 5 field goals — also hitting from 33 and 38 yards.

3. J.J. McCarthy

The second-year quarterback from suburban La Grange Park looked like he didn't belong in the NFL during an erratic performance of unforced errors and misplays that put the Vikings in the hole. Until the Vikings' final drive, he had completed 10 of 24 passes for 74 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 14.9 passer rating. But given one last opportunity after a defensive stop, McCarthy suddenly regained the form that beat the Bears in Week 1 — he completed 6 of 8 passes for 76 yards (including a drop by tight end T.J. Hockenson) and a 15-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison with 50 seconds left. He finished 16 of 32 for 150 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for a 47.7 passer rating.

4. Caleb Williams

Duvernay's 49-yard kick return robbed Williams of the opportunity to match McCarthy with a late rally to make the most of an uneven performance. As it turned out, Williams' impressive escapability and knack for avoiding disaster was his strongest suit Sunday (another deflected pass fell incomplete; a botched handoff was recovered by Rome Odunze). Someday, Williams and McCarthy could wage a classic Mahomes-Allen type of duel where each brings out the best in each other. But on Sunday it was almost the opposite, with both quarterbacks off their game and both bringing receivers down to their level. Williams completed 16 of 32 passes for 193 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for a 68.9 passer rating.

5. Myles Price

The Vikings were sleepwalking their way to a disappointing loss at home early in the fourth quarter when Price provided the spark that gave them a chance for a thrilling and unlikely victory that didn't happen. With the Bears leading 16-3 with 13:28 left in the fourth quarter, Price, a undrafted free agent rookie from Indiana (by way of Texas Tech) returned a Tory Taylor punt 43 yards to the Bears 24 that ignited the home crowd and created a huge momentum shift. The Vikings scored two plays later on Jordan Mason's 16-yard touchdown run to cut the Bears lead to 16-10 with 12:33 left in the fourth quarter and eventually took the lead before the Bears turned Price's return into a mere footnote with their own special teams excellence.

6. Nahshon Wright

The fill-in for injured starter Jaylon Johnson has been making plays all season since a 74-yard interception return against McCarthy in the opener and came up big again Sunday in the rematch. With the Bears leading 10-3 late in the second quarter but the Vikings threatening to score at the Bears 30-yard line, Wright used the length of his 6-foot-4 frame to make a leaping, reaching interception over Addison in the end zone with 35 seconds left in the half. With Johnson on the comeback trail and Tyrique Stevenson injured Sunday, Wright's ability to hold his own at a key position could loom even larger as the Bears continue a playoff push. Safety Kevin Byard had the Bears' other takeaway — taking advantage of a poor throw by McCarthy to step in front of Addison for an interception in the second quarter.

7. Rome Odunze

The second-year wide receiver had just two receptions for 41 yards, but continues to contribute in a way that epitomizes the pluck and verve of this team and its ability to avoid disaster. In a two-play span in the first quarter that could have altered the early tone, Odunze recovered a loose ball after a botched first-and-10 handoff between Williams and running back D'Andre Swift for a 15-yard loss to the Bears' 10-yard-line. On second-and-25, Odunze caught a 24-yard pass from Williams for a manageable third-and-one that D'Andre Swift converted. Odunze's other reception actually was better. On second-and-11 at the Bears 30, Odunze dove for a six-yard reception, then got up and bulled his way for a 17-yard gain — with help from Kyle Monangai, Joe Thuney, Theo Benedet, Cole Kmet and Luther Burden.

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