CHICAGO – Parker Romo remained perfect to cap an imperfect team performance and keep the Minnesota Vikings hot on the heels of the NFC North division leaders. Romo drilled a 29-yard field goal, his third of the game, with 2:10 left in overtime to give the Vikings a 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears. “You’ve just got to focus on the next kick,” Romo said of the pressure with the game on the line. “It was not a pretty day, but a good one.” Romo, who was with the Vikings during the offseason, signed earlier this month after rookie Will Reichard went on injured reserve. Reichard had beaten out Romo for the Vikings’ job in no small surprise given Reichard’s college track record and being a sixth-round draft pick. Romo was released in the opening days of training camp in July without much of a competition. He’s coming through for Minnesota now. Romo has made all eight-field goal attempts with the Vikings and accounted for all of Minnesota’s points with a perfect 4-for-4 debut in a 12-7 win over Jacksonville two weeks ago. He followed that up by making his only attempt las week in a 23-13 win over Tennessee. Against the Bears, Romo connected from 40 yards to put Minnesota up 17-10 early in the third quarter. His 26-yarder for a 27-16 lead with just under two minutes remaining appeared to put the Vikings in control. But Caleb Williams capped an eight-play, 40-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen, and the Bears added the two-point conversion to make it 27-24 with 22 seconds left. The Bears recovered the ensuing onside kick and Cairo Santos hit a 48-yard field goal as regulation time expired to force overtime. After Chicago punted in overtime, the Vikings taking over on their own 21-yard line. Sam Darnold’s 29-yard completion to T.J. Hockenson moved the ball to the Bears 9-yard line. Darnold then took a 2-yard loss to set up Romo between the hash marks for the eventual game-winning kick. Romo said his approach on the game-winner was no different than any other kick, but it has to be that way. “Anything can happen on any given play, but you’ve just got to believe in the operation that we put so much into to perfect and you just move on to the next kick,” Romo said. “I mean, it’s a pressure position. We’ve got really good coaches that believe in the operation, so every time they call on us, they know that we’re going to go execute.” Romo’s college career included stops at Central Arkansas and Tulsa, before landing at Virginia Tech, where he spent three seasons. Romo, who made the all-XFL team with the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, had previous NFL stints with the Saints, Lions and Bears but had not kicked in an NFL regular-season game until signing with Minnesota. Romo said it was extra special to kick against Chicago, a team that let him go after being on their practice squad for part of last season. “You’ve got to look at it the other way, too,” he said. “They also brought me in on the practice squad vs. I could have been at home.” Romo said the game-winner against the Bears was just the culmination of a goal he’s been pursuing since middle school. “It was probably in eighth grade when I knew I wanted to kick in the NFL,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting the opportunity at the right time.” Related Articles Minnesota Vikings | Five takeaways from Vikings’ 30-27 overtime win over Bears Minnesota Vikings | Bearly escaping: Vikings beat Chicago 30-27 in overtime thriller Minnesota Vikings | Vikings lose left tackle Cam Robinson, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. to injuries Minnesota Vikings | The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 12: Last-minute moves Minnesota Vikings | Vikings waive cornerback Akayleb Evans as 2022 draft continues to disappoint