Neal: In a game with twists and turns, Sam Darnold and Caleb Williams steadily guided their teams

CHICAGO – There was a haze over downtown Chicago on Sunday, likely from the smoldering mess of mishaps at Soldier Field all afternoon.

The Vikings had a big lead, but failed to put the game away. The Bears watched their run defense get gashed over and over. Both teams drove their special teams coaches nuts.

Among all of this, however, we were treated to a slinging show.

The Vikings’ Sam Darnold and the Bears’ Caleb Williams provided one in a game the Vikings won 30-27 in overtime.

Williams’ arm kept the Bears alive when they tired of running into a purple wall and had to chase the game. Darnold shook off an ankle injury and broken communication device in his helmet late in the game to direct the winning 10-play, 68-yard drive completed by Parker Romo’s 29-yard field goal.

It was another crazy game between the teams, but the Vikings won for the fifth consecutive time at Soldier Field. It is no longer their house of horrors.

And the Vikes head home following Darnold’s best game with the Purple as they won their fourth consecutive game, the final three on the road.

It would have been nice if the Vikings had continued to commit to the run after gaining 70 yards in the first quarter. That was one reason the Bears had the ball for more than 20 minutes in the first half. When Darnold dropped back to pass on the first play of the third, I shook my head. After the pass led to a 69-yard gain by Jordan Addison, I shrugged my shoulders.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell called his game, Darnold executed and finished 22-of-34 for 330 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

It came as Darnold resisted forcing the ball to Justin Jefferson, who received extra attention frequently. Darnold instead found Addison, who had eight catches for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown. Tight end T.J. Hockenson had seven catches for 114, including several big plays in fourth quarter and overtime.

Darnold had his left ankle rolled at the end of a scramble in the fourth quarter, leaving for a couple of plays. He re-entered, giving O’Connell the thumbs up when asked through the headset if he was fine. He played like he was.

It was the version of Darnold that can win playoff games. There were a couple of risky throws, but he stayed out of the interception column in consecutive games. That is a plus.

“Sam Darnold was phenomenal through the air today,” O’Connell said. “Making a lot of plays.”

Williams was expected to be flustered by Brian Flores’ defensive scheme. The first overall pick of this year’s draft got the ball out of his hands quickly, checked down, and leapt over defenders in a single bound when he needed to run, and led Chicago to three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. He finished 32-of-47 with 340 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The rookie brought Soldier Field to its feet in the final two minutes of regulation when he hit Rome Odunze for 14 yards on fourth-and-3 to reach the Vikings 19. He then avoided the rush to find Keenan Allen in the end zone four plays later. Williams then hit on a two-point conversion pass to DJ Moore.

After the Bears incredibly recovered an onside kick with 21 seconds left, Williams threw to Moore for a 27 yard gain, spiked the ball to stop the clock and watched Cairo Santos force overtime with a field goal.

A furious finish. Hey KOC, what’s it going to be like facing him twice a year?

“You can see it when he starts creating off schedule and that change of direction and athleticism,” O’Connell said. “And we had him dead to rights a couple times, and he gets out and makes huge plays. It’s going to be a challenge. We’re going to have to play as consistently as possible and disciplined as possible against him as he continues to grow.

“And you know, I look forward to the challenge of competing against him, because he’s going to be a really good player.”

When Romo’s kick in overtime split the uprights, Vikings players threw towels into the air before rushing onto the field. The combatants broke into the standard post-battle discussion groups. That included Darnold and Williams meeting for a hug and a chat.

One is a placeholder for injured 2024 draft pick J.J. McCarthy. The other was the person who McCarthy is expected to duel with over the next several years. Not this year, as McCarthy recovers from knee surgery while Darnold guides this 9-2 squad.

“Keep doing what you are doing,” Darnold said to Williams.

The same for you, Sam.