• Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterOct 13, 2024, 10:56 AM ET

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      Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.

LONDON — Cole Kmet got the easy part out of the way first.

After Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams faked a pass to his left and then to his right on the Bears’ third drive, the rookie found Kmet open over the middle of the field for a 31-yard touchdown. The tight end broke two tackles around his ankles and scored to give the Bears their first lead of the game over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was the second-longest touchdown of his career.

It’s what took place right after that likely put Kmet under much more stress.

After long-snapper Scott Daly went down with a knee injury on the Bears’ second punt, Kmet, Chicago’s emergency long-snapper, began warming up on the sideline. He stayed on the field after his score and snapped for the extra point, which put the Bears up 7-3 with 11:17 to play in the second quarter.

Williams led the Bears on a 10-play, 85-yard scoring drive before halftime. He picked up two first downs with his legs: a 23-yard scramble that got Chicago to midfield ahead of the two-minute warning, and a 19-yard run after escaping the pocket to get the Bears down to the goal line. The rookie once again found Kmet in the end zone for a touchdown to give the Bears a 14-3 lead.



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