It's the most wonderful time of year as summer fades into fall. The smell of fresh-cut grass gives way to the sound of crunching leaves beneath your feet. Tank tops turn into cozy sweaters, beach balls into pumpkins, and the Chicago Bears' championship dreams dissolve into autumn dust.
Their summer of optimism spilled three quarters into the regular season before the Minnesota Vikings crushed them under the Chicago night sky. More specifically, former Green Bay Packers linebacker Eric Wilson sparked the Bears' primetime demise.
The Packers never should've let Wilson leave in free agency, and he immediately proved why. His arrival in the second half swung the game in the Vikings' favor, and as momentum built, Caleb Williams' evening turned into a nightmare. He made a flawless start, but as the pressure cranked up, Williams' accuracy disappeared, and so did the Bears' 11-point fourth-quarter lead.
Eric Wilson performance sparked Bears' collapse to the surprise of no Packers fan
Wilson stepped off the bench following Blake Cashman's injury and delivered a performance Packers fans are familiar with. Wilson is a special teams ace but is more than capable on defense.
He made five tackles, including a crucial tackle for loss while Minnesota still trailed by five. He then blocked a punt midway through the fourth quarter to swing momentum firmly in the visitors' favor.
Wilson was everywhere, and the energy he provided off the bench helped change the game. Momentum built steadily, and before long, Williams, new head coach Ben Johnson, and the Bears had run out of answers. Wilson's blocked punt put a Vikings comeback victory in sight, and quarterback JJ McCarthy finished it off moments later.
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Another former Packer, Aaron Jones, gave Minnesota the lead with a 27-yard touchdown catch. If you need help winning at Soldier Field, call on former Packers.
A Vikings win is no better than a Bears victory — Monday Night Football was the ultimate hate watch. But it's always satisfying to see Chicago find new and creative ways to fall apart in style, and the home fans' full-time boos echoed around Soldier Field like music to the Packers' ears.
ESPN play-by-play Joe Buck said on the broadcast: "The Bears are going to wonder what hit them."
Eric Wilson hit them, Joe. Eric Wilson hit them.