CHICAGO – A win’s a win, as they say. But the Chicago Bears’ 25-24 victory over the Raiders Sunday in Las Vegas had the odor of defeat until, well, abruptly, it didn’t.

Such is the baked-in parity of the NFL. With the draft, revenue sharing, salary cap, etc. it’s as hard to be really bad as it is to be really good. Everybody’s always got a chance.

If you count on things like a last-second field goal block to win your game by a point, that’s exactly the way the league wants it. Did anybody turn off the Bears-Raiders TV game before the end? Doubt it.

It’s the little things in the NFL that make a difference between winning and losing. For instance, it’s for sure that if the Raiders had it to do over again, someone in their field goal formation would at least brush Bears rusher Josh Blackwell, who flew in untouched from the right side.

It’s assumed that no edge rusher can block any field goal, since the time it takes for that man to intersect with the ball is always greater than the time needed to kick it away. But if you’re really fast and have practiced jumping and laying out flat like Superman over Gotham City (done on cushioned mats in practice), and you have a sneaky edge (Bears film study showed Raiders center Jacob Bobenmoyer tipped off his snap), then you’ve got a chance. If somebody bumps you slightly in your straight line, you don’t.

Little things.

To win a game like this one was important for the Bears, since quarterback Caleb Williams didn’t play very well, especially in the first half, and the offense hardly capitalized on four outstanding takeaways. Five times the Bears’ offense got the ball in Raiders territory, sometimes deep in, and managed only three field goals and a touchdown from it. One time the offensive “drive” moved the ball backwards four yards.

After putting up a great game the week before in a rout of the Cowboys, Williams looked erratic and far less confident against the Raiders. He seemed to glance over open receivers, and several of his passes were short or skidded off target. Inaccuracy is the bogeyman that undoes great athletic quarterback hopefuls. Williams shows flashes of the needed control, but he must show it week after week. He has now started 21 games for the Bears. That’s a lot.

A big reason for Williams’ nervousness in the pocket Sunday was the relentless pass rush of swift, agile, heavily-tattooed Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. (One assumes the double-X in his name is a warning to quarterbacks that adult content is coming.) Crosby had five tackles, three passes broken up, an interception, and he often looked like he wanted to eat Williams.

His aggressiveness showed what the Bears, by contrast, are lacking: A ferocious edge rusher who puts the fear of doom in opposing passers. It’s just one position, but it’s key. Edge men such as the Lions’ Aiden Hutchinson, Packers’ Micah Parsons and Browns’ Myles Garrett all dominated Sunday. Those guys cost a bundle, but they disrupt everything.

It makes you wonder what’s up with Bears elite pass rusher Montez Sweat, who is signed to a four-year, $98 million contract. The huge man once ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash, which is cornerback speed. So far this year he has one sack. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, who had been sacked 12 times in the three previous games, escaped untouched against the Bears.

Watching Crosby wreak havoc on the Bears showed that there are a number of ways to do the rusher’s job. Crosby is tall and narrow and wears almost no pads, so he spins and slides and slips bast blockers like a wraith. Smaller man Parsons uses his unreal quickness. Garrett bulldozes with muscle upon muscle. Hutchinson uses technique and relentlessness. Somebody on the Bears D-line should notice.

Also, a once solid thing for the Bears—the tight end position—seems in chaos. Steady veteran Cole Kmet had one of his worst days ever, dropping a gift pass and getting called for two false start penalties. And what are we to think of rookie first round pick Colston Loveland? He was recovering from injury when drafted, and after catching three passes for 43 yards this season, is injured again. One is reminded of high-pick Adam Shaheen, the tight end who caught 26 passes for the Bears in three seasons and was soon out of the league.

Little things that might become big. The league loves that kind of stuff. But it’s fair to say it all can drive us crazy.

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