Bears lose to Vikings after late kickoff miscue in Johnson debut

Ben Johnson's debut as Chicago Bears head coach was overshadowed Monday night by a late-game decision that helped hand the Minnesota Vikings a 27-24 victory at Soldier Field. With 2:02 remaining and the Bears trailing by three, Johnson instructed kicker Cairo Santos to boot the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback. The kick failed to clear the back line, Vikings returner Ty Chandler brought the ball out and Minnesota ran time off the clock before the two-minute warning, leaving Chicago with virtually no time to mount a tying drive.

The sequence began after the Bears closed a 21-0 deficit with a score at the 2:02 mark that made it 27-24. Chicago had only one timeout remaining, meaning a touchback would have pinned Minnesota at the 35 and preserved the two-minute stoppage, while a kick out of bounds would have stopped the clock entirely at the cost of a five-yard penalty. Santos’ kick did not exit the end zone and Chandler, at the urging of Vikings coach Kevin OConnell, stepped out of the end zone and returned the ball, allowing play to stop at 1:55. The Bears forced the three-and-out they needed, but regained possession with nine seconds on the clock and no realistic...