The Giants thought they had stolen the game when it turned on a trick-pass touchdown from Odell Beckham Jr. in the third quarter.
The Bears saved their own trick for the final seconds of regulation.
On their own version of the “Philly Special,” running back Tarik Cohen threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller as time expired, sending the tie game to overtime.
The game-winning points were much less thrilling.
In overtime, the Giants got the ball first, and Aldrick Rosas booted a 44-yard field goal before their defense finally got a stop to secure a 30-27 win over the Bears on Sunday at a soggy MetLife Stadium.
After the Bears converted a fourth-and-7 on their overtime possession, the Giants nearly ended it when Olivier Vernon stripped Chase Daniel. The Bears recovered, though, setting up another fourth down, when Daniel’s deep pass was incomplete to end the game.
The Giants had taken a 27-17 lead with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter before the Bears kicked a field goal and recovered an onside kick with 1:13 to go, setting up the game-tying drive. Daniel converted a pass on fourth-and-3, and later, a pass-interference penalty on B.W. Webb set up the Bears at the 1 with three seconds left and no timeouts.
The Bears’ first shot at a tying drive at the end of regulation was stopped immediately. Taylor Gabriel caught a pass from Chase Daniel, but he was stripped by Webb and Sean Chandler recovered it, giving the Giants the ball back with 2:19 left.
The Giants also got an injury scare in the fourth quarter, when Saquon Barkley was tackled by Roquan Smith and rolled awkwardly onto his right shoulder. The rookie went to the sideline to get looked at but eventually returned.
Pat Shurmur had turned to his bag of tricks to give the Giants life in the third quarter after Barkley brought them across midfield. Beckham took a toss from Eli Manning and faked a run before finally heaving it deep to a wide-open Russell Shepard for a 49-yard touchdown pass. Thanks to the Giants’ biggest passing play all day, they took a 17-14 lead.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Giants got the ball back and went to work again behind Barkley. He found open space to run, and even when he didn’t he caught a pass from Manning and hurdled over a defender to bring them into the red zone.
A pass-interference call on former Giant Prince Amukamara brought Big Blue to the 1-yard line, where they were stuffed on back-to-back runs before an incompletion brought up fourth down. The Bears brought pressure on Manning, but he waited patiently, letting Beckham spring loose and finding him for the touchdown. It extended the Giants’ lead to 24-14 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
Cody Parkey kicked a 36-yard field goal with 9:25 left in the fourth to bring the Bears within 24-17.
The Giants got the start to the game they wanted, with Alec Ogletree picking off Daniel on the second play of the game. The linebacker barreled 8 yards into the end zone for the touchdown and the 7-0 lead just 46 seconds in.
The Bears finally got going on their fourth drive, catching a break when Giants safety Curtis Riley dropped an easy interception and the visitors cashed in on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Daniel to Adam Shaheen to tie the game.
Manning was intercepted on the next series, as his pass intended for Beckham was not close and Kyle Fuller picked it off.
The Giants, though, answered with their own interception as Ogletree came through again. He snagged a Daniel pass with one hand and brought it in for his second interception.
After the teams traded more futile possessions, the Bears went driving again. Allen Robinson made a circus catch down the sideline on a ball Daniel placed on the head of cornerback Webb to get Chicago to the 9-yard line. Four plays later, facing a fourth-and-goal from the one, 332-pound defensive tackle Akiem Hicks rumbled across the goal line for the touchdown and 14-7 Bears lead.
The Giants began their final drive of the half at their own 43-yard line with 1:14 on the clock. Manning was sacked on back-to-back plays before Barkley made something out of nothing for a 22-yard gain. On fourth-and-1, Manning hit Ellison 9 yards before the tight end got out of bounds with one second left. It allowed Rosas to kick a 57-yard field goal as time expired.