Sam Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT and Vikings beat Bears 30-27 after blowing late lead

CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold figured the Vikings would recover the Bears' onside kick near the end of regulation and he would only need to kneel.

Though things got a little more complicated, he'll take this result.

Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo's game-ending 29-yard field goal, and Minnesota outlasted Chicago 30-27 on Sunday after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.

“You're expecting to recover the onside kick and just take some knees,” Darnold said. “So your mindset (is) you've got to get ready to go back out there and execute at a high level and I feel like our offense did a really good job of that, obviously, in overtime.”

Darnold threw two touchdown passes. Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North.

Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears (4-7) dropped their fifth straight, with three decided on the final play. Chicago is 5-18 in one-possession games under coach Matt Eberflus, who is 14-31 in 2 1/2 seasons.

“I think we got better in all phases," Williams said. “We’ve gotten better over these past couple games. I think today was a testament to that, being decisive, receivers and everybody. It’s tough.”

Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished.

Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining.

The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.

Chicago won the coin toss, but Jonathan Greenard got his second sack of the game, taking down Williams for a 12-yard loss on second down. That led to a three-and-out. The Vikings took over at the 21, and Darnold led a 10-play drive, overcoming a sack by Montez Sweat on the first play and two penalties.

“It was just the ability to overcome, and his trust in me and my trust in him,” coach Kevin O'Connell said. “We were gonna do it via the pass on that drive for the most part, try to mix some runs in there if we could. But I think that when your best is required, I had no hesitation of trying to attack what I was seeing and trying to get our guys going to get down there and give Parker a chance.”

Darnold connected with Hockenson for a 29-yard completion that put the ball on the 9. He took a knee and Romo nailed the winner.

“Football is a game where you've got to be able to respond,” O'Connell said. “It's never gonna be perfect. This group is a special group, and it's a road win in the NFC North and I'm really proud of our team."

Darnold surpassed his previous high of 19 touchdown passes in a season with a 2-yarder to Addison on the first play of the second quarter, and he made it 14-7 with a 5-yard score to Jalen Nailor late in the first half. He completed 22 of 34 passes.

Aaron Jones ran for 106 yards and a score for the Vikings.

Williams was 32 of 47 with a 103.1 passer rating in his second straight solid performance since Thomas Brown replaced the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator.

“He’s growing in front of our eyes,” Eberflus said of the No. 1 overall draft pick. “Today was a really good growth for him to be able to go out there and execute the way he did with a 103 passer rating and be able to get those drives going at the end to put us in position to win the game.”

Moore caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, and Allen added 86 yards receiving and the late TD.

Vikings: LB Ivan Pace Jr. (hamstring) and LT Cam Robinson (foot) left in the first quarter. ... S Jay Ward (elbow) was also banged up. ... Darnold missed two plays with a foot injury after he was hit by Gervon Dexter Sr. on a pass play with about 6 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation. He said he just needed to walk it off.

Vikings: Host Arizona next Sunday.

Bears: Visit Detroit on Thanksgiving.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, right, hugs Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II after an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) makes a catch past Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens (36) during overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings place kicker Parker Romo (96) makes the game-wining field goal in overtime of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings place kicker Parker Romo (96) celebrates his game-wining field goal with teammates in overtime of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings place kicker Parker Romo, right, makes the game-wining field goal in overtime of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Bears place kicker Cairo Santos (8) makes a field goal during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) is tackled by Chicago Bears cornerback Terell Smith after a catch during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II (6) runs back after recovering the ball on a blocked punt during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wipes sweat from his face on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) makes a touchdown catch as Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens tackles during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, top center, blocks a field goal attempt by Chicago Bears place kicker Cairo Santos during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services, is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings, as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence.

“I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time.

“The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said.

Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican Party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III."

Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans.

“For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.”

In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.”

Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win.

Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.”

“The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.”

Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs.

Gabbard also has suggested that Russia had legitimate security concerns in deciding to invade Ukraine, given its desire to join NATO.

Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views.

“It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC.

Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia.

“We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.

FILE - Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., speaks during a press event on Capitol Hill, Feb. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - Tulsi Gabbard speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)