GIANTS FINALLY PUT BEARS DOWN IN OT
Rosas’ field goal ends Chicago comeback in game filled with wild plays
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Aldrick Rosas kicked a 44-yard field goal in overtime and the New York Giants beat the NFC North-leading Chicago 30-27 Sunday, snapping the Bears’ five-game win streak.
The Giants (4-8) blew a 10-point lead in the final 1:13 of regulation.
They didn’t nail down the win until Janoris Jenkins knocked away a deep fourth-down pass to Taylor Gabriel after quarterback Chase Daniel fumbled on consecutive plays on the rainy afternoon to set up a fourth-and-8.
Chicago (8-4) forced overtime by getting a 21-yard field goal by Cody Parkey and a one-yard touchdown pass from halfback Tarik Cohen to Anthony Miller as time expired in the fourth quarter. The trick-play touchdown was set up by a recovered onside kick by Daniel Brown on a play Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. did not dive for the loose ball. Then came a questionable pass interference call in the end zone against cornerback B.W. Webb with three seconds to go.
“The takeaway is, and I told the team this, some people are fond of talented people, some people are fond of smart people. I’m fond of tough, resilient people,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said.
“When you are trying to flip culture and when you are trying to build something, you have to dig in on that. There was some toughness and resiliency when they came back to tie things up.”
Rosas’ third field goal of the game came on the opening series of overtime and was set up by a 29-yard run by Saquon Barkley, who finished with 125 yards on 24 carries.
“I’m proud of them for fighting to the end. Not every team will do that,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said.
“We’ve got a bunch of high-character guys that will fight ’til the end and that’s a credit to them. We’ve got to figure out how to learn from this. This is part of that callus that goes on.”
The game was filled with wild play calls. Besides the Cohen pass on what appeared to be a sweep, the Giants saw Beckham throw and catch touchdowns, and Chicago nose tackle Akiem Hicks dive over on fourth down from one yard on a play made famous by William “The Fridge” Perry in the Bears’ glory days in the mid-1980s.
The Giants seemed to have it wrapped up when Rosas kicked a 37-yard field goal for a 27-17 lead with 1:49 to play. But the Bears rallied behind Daniel (26 of 39 for 285 yards, a TD and two interceptions) and several mistakes by the Giants, who were called for 12 penalties for 107 yards.
New York had two penalties on the tying drive, which featured a 23-yard, fourth-down pass from Daniel to Cohen to the Giants’ nine with 11 seconds left in regulation.
Cohen finished with 12 catches for 156 yards.
Linebacker Alex Ogletree intercepted two passes, scoring on an eight-yard return on the second play from scrimmage.
The Giants forced three turnovers and had a season-high five sacks against Daniel, who was starting his second game in place of the injured Mitchell Trubisky (shoulder).
The Giants made many big plays in the second half.
Beckham threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Russell Shepard and caught a one-yard, fourth-down TD from Eli Manning (19 of 35 for 170 yards and an interception) as New York opened a 24-14 lead in the third quarter.
A 36-yard field goal Parkey got the Bears within 24-17 in the third quarter. However, Rosas — who kicked a franchise record 57-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to make it 14-10 — added a 37-yard field goal after Sean Chandler recovered Gabriel’s fumble deep in Bears territory.
The Bears came right back and forced the overtime.
Nagy tried everything to get the Bears going without his starting quarterback. His fourth-down, first-quarter gamble near midfield led to a two-yard touchdown pass by Daniel to Adam Shaheen, and Hicks brought back memories of The Fridge with his touchdown on his first career run.
New York now has won three of four since the team’s bye week.
I told the team this, some people are fond of talented people, some people are fond of smart people. I’m fond of tough, resilient people.
INJURIES
The Giants started the game without LB B.J. Goodson, who was out with a neck problem. His backup, Tae Davis, left the game in the first half with an ankle injury. Ukeme Eligwe played and had his first three tackles of the season. WR Sterling Shepard had a rib injury in the first half and returned. S Landon Collins was on and off the field with a shoulder problem.
NOTES
Ogletree, who had a team-high 10 tackles for the Giants, has four interceptions this season and has scored touchdowns on returns in two straight home games. He tallied on a 15-yarder against Tampa Bay Nov. 18 . ... The Bears fumbled six times and lost one. Daniel had four fumbles and didn’t lose any.