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Bears News

Josh Blackwell reveals how he blocked Raiders field-goal try, sealed Bears win

4 months agoNicholas Moreano

It takes all 53 players on a roster to win an NFL game.

In the Bears’ 25-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, it took every player down to Chicago’s backup nickel cornerback, Josh Blackwell, and its long snapper, Scott Daly.

[WATCH: Joniak’s entire Blackwell interview, only in the Marquee app]

Marquee Sports Network’s Jeff Joniak spoke with Blackwell on “The Official Bears Postgame Live!” about how he blocked Daniel Carlson’s go-ahead 54-yard field-goal attempt with 38 seconds left in the game.

“Like everybody stayed in it, believed in it, and throughout the week, Scott Daly had given us a little tip with the snapper,” Blackwell told Joniak. “He would move the ball right before he would snap it, and the first two, we got really good jumps. I’m like, ‘I’m close. I’m going to get one.’ HT [Bears special teams coach Richard Hightower] was like, we got to get this kick blocked, and I got a good jump.”

Daly’s information on Raiders long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer gave the Bears’ special teams unit an advantage that it capitalized on when it was needed most.

Blackwell told Joniak that he came off the edge clean, and credited the jump he created off the snap. After Blackwell laid out to block the ball with his right hand, he said he had “an out-of-body experience” and just ran toward the opposite end zone in celebration.

Before Blackwell even could have an opportunity to block the field goal, Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense needed to score. The quarterback led his team on an 11-play, 69-yard drive that ended with D’Andre Swift’s 2-yard touchdown run.

The Bears’ defense then came up with a big-time stop on third-and-2, when veteran safety Kevin Byard III, who had two interceptions in the game, tackled Ashton Jeanty in the backfield for a 1-yard loss. That forced Carlson’s attempt on the next play.

“That’s it,” Blackwell told Joniak. “That’s how you do it. That’s how you get wins in this league, and it’s just a testament to the team that we have and Coach Ben [Johnson] and how he has addressed us coming into the season, so that’s how you do it.”