Cairo Santos experienced déjà vu from the moment he walked into U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday morning.

When the veteran kicker headed into the visiting locker room, he found his No. 8 jersey placed in the exact same locker he had two years ago when the Bears played the Vikings Nov. 27, 2023.

One weird coincidence? Fine by Santos. But as the game unfolded, that similarity began to feel more like fate.

Santos' stat line Sunday turned out to be almost identical to that of the 2023 Monday night matchup: four made field goals, one miss and an opportunity to win the game late in the fourth quarter while trailing the Vikings by one point.

Just like he did in 2023, Santos delivered. With four seconds remaining on the clock and the Bears down 17-16, Santos trotted onto the field to line up for a 48-yard field goal. He took his typical two steps to the left and looked through the uprights as holder Tory Taylor awaited his signal. Santos' eyes went down, long snapper Scott Daly snapped the ball back and Santos drilled the kick as time expired.

"When the Vikings scored the touchdown [and the] extra point and went up one, in my head I'm just praying for an opportunity to make the game-winning kick … and I want to be put in that situation like the team gave me at the end of the game," Santos told Jeff Joniak on Marquee Sports Network's Bears Postgame Live.

"I'm always going to feel confident that I'm gonna come through. So just thankful for the whole team for the support and everything that goes into winning games like that."

His second game-winner in Minneapolis in three years gave the Bears a 19-17 victory, marking their first divisional win this season and putting them atop the NFC North with a 7-3 record.

As soon as the officials signaled that the kick was good, the entire offensive line, as well as Taylor, threw their hands up in celebration. Within seconds, the entire team had left the sideline and hoisted Santos off his feet.

In the postgame swarm, teammates like quarterback Caleb Williams and running back Kyle Monangai found Santos and congratulated him, while Daly delivered him the football from the game-winning kick.

By the time Santos spoke with Joniak, he was carrying footballs in each hand — the second being a game ball that he received from coach Ben Johnson during the postgame celebration in the locker room.

"One for each of my kids, so they don't fight for it," Santos joked.

The game-winner was also the second of the calendar year for Santos, who last gave the Bears a last-second win Jan. 5 in Green Bay, and second this season for coordinator Richard Hightower's group after backup kicker Jake Moody kicked a game-winner against the Commanders Oct. 13.

While it's always a great feeling to deliver under pressure, Sunday's game felt particularly special because of how the Bears' special teams stepped up in the final minute and bounced back from struggles earlier in the game.

Following the Vikings' go-ahead TD pass from J.J. McCarthy to Jordan Addison with 50 seconds remaining, return specialist Devin Duvernay fielded a 61-yard kick at the Chicago 4. He took off diagonally and just as he cut toward the middle of the field, cornerback Josh Blackwell delivered a perfectly timed block that allowed Duvernay to run up the right side and gain 56 yards to reach the Minnesota 40.

Three carries from running back D'Andre Swift brought the Bears to the 31-yard line, where Johnson felt comfortable putting the game at the feet of Santos, who wanted redemption for his 45-yard miss earlier in the fourth quarter.

"I had to come back through on the next play for the team," Santos said. "For special teams, it wasn't our cleanest game as well, but we're just resilient. Duv' making a play like that, just to lift our special teams in this game, and me getting a chance to seal the game for special teams, is kind of the identity that coach Hightower has built here.

"It's not gone our way in a lot of ways for special teams and myself, but I'm always going to be battling for this team, for this city, for these coaches. Just blessed for the opportunity."

Duvernay's longest return of the season came at the most opportune time and earned the veteran a game ball from Johnson, who told reporters he's "been waiting for one of those from [Duvernay]."

The 6-year pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection credited his success to the "design of the play" as well as near-perfect execution by the return unit.

Duvernay believes the special teams' clutch response in the final minute starts with Hightower's consistent messaging and the players' resiliency through all four quarters.

"The game's not over till 0:00 on the clock," Duvernay said. "We've just got to keep playing the game, keep playing, and we know our plays will come … [It's] just staying with it, just knowing we impact games. We're not just there just to be there. We really impact games and hopefully win the game for the team. HT just preaches staying with it, that we can help this team win and preaches impact."

Both Santos and Duvernay acknowledged that special teams has areas to clean up from the victory, despite the successful comeback efforts. Still, the group helped make history Sunday.

With his season-long 54-yard field goal in the third quarter, Santos became the Bears' all-time leader in made field goals from 50-plus yards with 24, passing Robbie Gould. While Santos repeatedly acknowledged that the 2025 season hasn't gone exactly how he planned, most notably due to missing a pair of games with an injury, he appreciates the spot he's in now.

"All the things that have happened for me with injuries or games I wasn't my best, they all kind of teach you lessons too," Santos said. "When I show up today, it's all because of those lessons I learned before, that that's the version I am today. So in a way, I'm thankful for everything that happens, and it teaches me things, and I can only execute the way I did today because of those lessons I've learned. "

For Santos, who has now played in 158 career games and attempted 302 field goals, the win means much more than his personal accolades or records. Seeing how the 2025 Bears have evolved and stuck together through five fourth-quarter comebacks this season has been a thrilling ride for the veteran.

"It's amazing, especially to see how we're winning games," Santos added. "The last couple seasons, we saw the opposite of that, even with a team that we felt like we had trust in each other. I think we've grown so much to learn to win these games.

"It's amazing to see week in and week out, you're in these games and you kind of know guys are going to step in. When it's your turn, you've gotta do it for each other."