Cairo Santos kicked a career-long game-winning field goal for the Chicago Bears moments after Kirk Herbstreit’s odd breakdown of the scenario.

On Thursday Night Football, with Al Michaels on the call and derided by fans, the Bears clinched a dramatic 30-24 win over the New England Patriots. Caleb Williams won his second successive games since returning from injury, throwing for 308 yards and two touchdowns as he defeated his fellow 2024 first-round pick in Drake Maye.

However, while Luther Burden III put up 130 yards and a touchdown through the air, Santos ended up as the hero of Chicago. Despite missing a 53-yard field goal earlier in the game, the veteran stepped up to kick a late field goal that put the Bears out of reach and clinched the win.

On the Bears’ final meaningful possession, the Bears faced 3rd-and-1 when Patriots defensive end Cory Durden was flagged for encroachment. In the eyes of Herbstreit in the Prime booth, this was a clever move even if it seemingly took Chicago into field-goal range to close out the game.

“You know what, this guy did this on purpose,” Herbstreit theorized. “Going back to the clock, we just said that if they get the first down, they’d have to use a timeout on the third-down conversion. Now you give him the first down, and knowing Vrabel and the way he operates, that’s something that they would do.”

The camera then cut to Pats head coach Mike Vrabel, who appeared incredibly frustrated for a coach Herbstreit believed pulled off a wily late-game strategic move. However, Herbstreit realized where he was going wrong, adding: “And now you get potentially into field goal range and that makes it a two-score game, so it’s either or.”

After the Patriots stuffed two runs, the Bears — leading by six points — faced 3rd-and-5 with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter when Williams did what he absolutely did not want to do, taking a sack that seemingly pushed the Bears out of field goal range.

This would have allowed the Patriots to take possession and drive for the win, but Ben Johnson had other ideas.

Instead, the Bears head coach called for Santos to try his luck at a potential career-long 58-yard game-winning field goal attempt. The 34-year-old duly converted, leading to wild celebrations on the sidelines as the Bears closed in on victory.

The Patriots received possession and kicked a field goal themselves after Maye hit Demario Douglas for a 16-yard gain. Andres Borregales kicked a 47-yard field goal, but the onside kick was claimed by Rome Odunze to seal the win for the Bears.

The win means Chicago moves to 5-2, and the NFC North franchise will take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in their next game on Monday Night Football on Nov. 2.

Meanwhile, the 4-3 Patriots are next in action against the winless Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 1.