Not how anyone would have imagined — things often aren't with the Vikings play the Bears at Soldier Field — but Minnesota's defense forced a three-and-out to open overtime, and the offense overcame multiple negative penalties to drive for a game-winning, 29-yard field goal by Parker Romo for a 30-27 victory.

Sam Darnold showed poise, leadership and the ability to find the open man and fire the ball accurately in driving Minnesota 10 plays for 68 net yards in 5:29 and improving the Vikings to 9-2 on the season.

The best quality, however, by the quarterback was how unwavering he was.

It didn't matter Minnesota had coughed up an 11-point lead in the final minute of regulation.

Or that star receiver Justin Jefferson only had one catch on the day until the extra session.

Or that the drive began with a 7-yard loss on a sack. Darnold overcame that with passes of 8 and 12 to T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison on back to back snaps.

Or that a false start by Johnny Mundt created a first-and-15. Darnold solved that with a 20-yard completion to Jefferson.

Or that a 7-yard scramble on the next snap was erased by a holding penalty, creating a first-and-20. Darnold solved that problem with a 9-yard completion Aaron Jones, Sr., and a 12-yarder to Hockenson, moving the ball to the Chicago 40-yard line.

A run by Jones gained 2 before Darnold delivered his final throw of the game, a 29-yarder to Hockenson, who finished with 114 yards on seven catches (nine targets) and had a long of 34 earlier in the game one snap after a touchdown to Jefferson was erased by an offensive pass interference penalty against Brandon Powell.

Darnold took one more snap and lost 2 on a run in order to center the football for Romo's winner.

Darnold went 6-for-6 with 90 passing yards in overtime, finishing the day 22-of-34 passing with 330 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. His passer rating finished at 116.1.

The dazzling display in overtime followed a fourth quarter in which Darnold also impressed but left the game briefly after Bears defensive lineman Gervon Dexter, Sr., landed on his foot while trying to pressure a pass play.

Nick Mullens entered the game on third-and-13 and delivered a strike over the middle to Jones, who gained 14 with help of Vikings receivers running clear-out routes.

Darnold came back in in time to find Addison for 9 on second-and-11 and Jefferson for what would have been a 40-yard score if not for the offensive pass interference penalty. He followed that mark-off of 10 yards by firing to Hockenson for a gain of 34 to the Chicago 16 with 3:22 remaining.

The Bears forced a field goal by Romo that made it 27-16 with 1:56 remaining in overtime.

Here are four more observations presented by Minnesota Eye Consultants, the Proud LASIK Partner of the Minnesota Vikings, followed by a scoring summary:

1. Key Challenge + No fly zone + Offense Capitalizing

The Vikings put together quite a sequence in the second quarter that involved a successful challenge by Kevin O'Connell to erase a play initially ruled a 24-yard completion to Keenan Allen to the Minnesota 6.

Replay showed the front of Allen's second foot step out of bounds.

Instead of first-and-goal, the Bears faced fourth-and-4 from the 30.

Jerry Tillery provided a huge lift for the Vikings special teams, blocking a 48-yard field goal attempt by Cairo Santos with nine-plus minutes left in the second quarter.

Brian Asamoah II caught the deflected football and returned it 22 yards to the Minnesota 47.

The Vikings offense built on the momentum by driving 53 yards in just six plays, assisted by a 35-yard pass interference penalty on Jaylon Johnson that moved the ball from the Chicago 41 to the 6.

Darnold found Jalen Nailor for a 5-yard touchdown two plays later, with "Speedy" showing agility along the sidelines to stay in bounds long enough to get the ball across the pylon.

2. Williams' athleticism on display

Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams made multiple plays to support Chicago drafting him with the No. 1 overall pick of 2024, but he did miss a couple of throws during the game.

Williams completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. His passer rating was 103.1.

He also led the Bears with 33 rushing yards on six carries, helping offset production that was otherwise stymied by the Vikings (Chicago rushed 16 other times including one by receiver DJ Moore for 13 and totaled 45 yards.

Williams also made the Vikings pay when he escaped the pocket, including a 30-yard pass to running back D'Andre Swift down the sideline.

Moore led Chicago with 106 yards and a touchdown on seven catches, and Allen added 86 yards with a touchdown on nine catches.

3. A.J., J.A. & T.J.

Jones was 12-1 as a member of the Packers against the Bears. He's 1-0 as a Viking thanks to racking up 106 yards on 22 carries that included a 41-yard scamper on Minnesota's fifth play of the game.

He also overcame a fumble at the Chicago 2 that ended Minnesota's first possession of the game and found the end zone with a 2-yard run to make it 24-10 with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, an opportunity gained after Vikings rookie Bo Richter dived on a muffed punt at the Chicago 15-yard line.

Jones also caught three passes for 23 yards.

Addison had a monster day with a career-best 162 yards through the air. He totaled eight receptions on nine targets, including a career-long 69-yarder on the first play of the second half. Addison also racked up a 45-yarder to set up his 2-yard receiving touchdown that tied the game at 7 with 14:54 left in the second quarter.

Hockenson had his fifth career game with at least 100 yards (third as a Viking).

4. Van Ginkel & Greenard at it again

Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard made impacts in their third game together within the NFC North, especially in the first half.

Van Ginkel recorded a pass breakup and a sack for the third time in a game this season. He finished with seven tackles, one sack, two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed and now has 9.0 sacks on the season.

Greenard became the 10^th player this season to record three tackles for loss in one half and the first Viking to do so in a game since Danielle Hunter at Cincinnati last December.

He faced a steady diet of double teams in the second half but managed to deliver a crucial sack of Williams on Chicago's second snap of overtime, turning a second-and-9 into a third-and-21.

Greenard totaled six tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble after a short reception by Keenan Allen that was recovered by the Bears receiver.