Final: Vikings 19, Bears 13 | In-Game Blog

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain blogging live from Soldier Field at the Bears and Minnesota Vikings game, the 119th matchup of the two with the Purple gang owning a 60-56-2 advantage but Chicago holding a four-game winning streak in the series.

Fourth Quarter

• Bears with 149 yards on night.

• Final: Vikings 19, Bears 13

• The bad thing about the rest of this season is they'll use the quarterback injuries as an excuse. But they were going nowhere already.

• Incomplete and hit as he throws. Now with 13 seconds left.

• He's got a big arm. Get to the 50 and take your chances like the Cardinals.

• Bray to Nall but clock is running after a gain of 18. 

• Cart coming onto the field with 37 seconds left. Have no fear. Tyler Bray is here, playing in a game for first time since 2017.

• Foles being sacked, throws it up in the air and Foles is hurt on play. Ifeadi Odenigbo threw him down on his right shoulder.

• Touchback. Not sure why they didn't rush that one. Maybe they did and couldn't get there.  80 yards to go 44 seconds. No timeouts. Bears couldn't score a touchdown if they stopped the clock after every play

• Third-and-6 for the Vikings and Cook is stopped at the 35. On fourth-and-5 from the 35 they let the clock run to 50 seconds and take a delay of game to punt from the 40. Bears out of timeouts and will have less than 50 seconds left.

• Vikings on third-and-6 at the 36 of Chicago with 1:38 left try to draw the Bears offsides but it doesn't work. They call timeout.

• At Vikings 39, wide open boot pass to Rudolph for 21. At Bears 40. That should just about do it. 

• DeFilippo calling plays next week? Ragone?

• Losing Akiem Hicks would pretty much kill Bears chances against Green Bay. But what different does it make when you can't get a down, touch or first

• Cook gets 4 on first down. Two-minute warning.

• Foles scrambles and finds Patterson for 2. Third-and-5 at the 31. A 4-yard loss and it's fourth-and-9 at 35. Foles throws deep and just over Miller's hands at the goal line. Vikings ball. Why no field goal? Could have been within 3 and then had all their timeouts?

• At Vikings 33 with 3:55 to play. At least it's a quick moving game.

• Patterson off right side for 3.

• Foles short and Patterson moves it up for another 5 yards for a 10-yard pass and first down. 

• Miller with a beautiful cutback punt return. Gains 34 yards on the return. Longest punt return of the year. Bears at the Vikings 47 after a 48-yard punt.

• Third-and-20 at the 16. Smart play, handoff up middle to Cook and he nearly breaks it but is stopped after 14 yards. Vikings punt from 30 with 5:35 left.

• Urban has Cousins dead for a sack but he scrambles away because of a hold on Dakota Dozier. Second-and 20 at the 16. Expect Thielen or a tight end. Slant to Jefferson and Johnson bats it away.

• Urban makes another stop. He's playing strong for a reserve. It's second-and-10 at the 26. 

• Cousins scrambles and finds Cook for an 8-yard gain.

• Cook runs off left side for 7. Third-and-3 at the 18.

• Incomplete pass by Cousins, who is going to be sacked. Why are they passing?

• Bears have turned this into the Purple People Eaters. They had 115 yards in three quarters.

• O'Donnell with an excellent punt to the 11 and Patterson is there forcing a fair catch.

• Bears get a three-and-out and will  punt with 8:42 left. Three-and-out is a victory for the Bears offense.

• Blitz and Foles is hit throwing incomplete. No one was open again.

• Foles to Miller nets 7 over the middle. Pierce blown away on second down for a loss of 2. Third-and-5 at the 42.

• Patterson returns to the 37.

• That's a key conversion because I could see the Bears getting two field goals but their offense isn't capable of a touchdown.

• Bad snap on conversion kick and Vikings lead 19-13

• Third-and-4 pass for 6 yard TD to Thielen, Skrine slipped. Skrine easily having his worst game of the year. 

• At the 6, the Vikingsgive it to Cook and Brent Urban stops it in the backfield. He gets away and back to the line where Eddie Jackson makes a stop.

• Cook gets 6 right over Hicks' position.

• Boot pass burns Fuller for 14 yards to Jefferson to the Bears 12 with 11:48 left.

• Gipson misses a tackle on Rudolph in the open field and he gains 22 yards for a first down on a short catch.

• Conklin holds on Mack and Cook gain is wiped out. First-and-28 at Bears 48.

• Predictably, Cook cuts back and gets 13 up the middle as Bilal Nichols is blocked out of the play trying to replace Hicks

• Mingo nearly sacks Cousins. Vikes put Cook back in.

• Akiem Hicks out with a hamstring injury and  doubtful to return. Hicks is critical to stopping Vikings runners from cutting back.

• Cook off left end, hit by Smith and he's hurt. So is Jaylon Johnson. Cook actually fumbled the ball on the play but recovered it.  Johnson walks off and Cook appears OK now.

• Vikings have the wind in the fourth quarter. Poor O'Donnell punt goes OB at the Vikings 37. Only a 39-yard punt into the wind.

• The Bears offense not only didn't score in that third quarter, they didn't get a first down.

Third Quarter

• Quarter mercifully ends for Bears offense. There's no one here but I could swear I hear boos. Bears 13, VIkings 13.

• How can they be this anemic still? Here comes the blitz and of course he's sacked.

• Bears try the wildcat again and lose yardage. Now it's third-and-6 at the 33.

• Patterson gains 5 on a stretch play, running it to the sideline. Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks leaves with an injury but appears OK.

• Jaylon Johnson bats down a slant to Bisi Johnson. Third-and-10 at the 32. Cousins complete to Jefferson but it only puts them in field goal range. A 43-yard Bailey field goal try is good with 1:52 left in third quarter. Seven plays, 60 yards, 3:20. Bears 13, Vikings 13. 

• Harris is out of the game for Bears because of a triceps injury, not necessarily because of the muffed punt.

• Boot pass incomplete. 

• Third-and-11 from the 14. But Vikings get t back and more as Jefferson gets into the secondary and races 54 yards to the Bears 32. Another third-down conversion.

• Big gainer by Cook and it's coming back because Thielen held Mack.

• Roquan Smith and Nichols drag down Cook a yard short of first down. Third-and-1 at 24.

• Boot pass to Rudolph for 8. Nearly blown up by Mack.

• Punt by Pat O'Donnell fair caught at the 15 with 5:12 left in third quarter.

• Patterson fumbles handoff, recovers and gais a yard. Vikings blitz the A-gap and Foles has no one open, throws well short of Robinson incomplete. Bears punt

• Foles throws to Miller, who loses a yard on a pass totally telegraphed by Foles.

• Tyler Bray with a stocking hat on. Maybe tell him to put on the helmet?

• Anthony Miller told to return punts instead of Harris. Miller breaks a nice return on first try after fielding it in a crowd. Brings it back to the Minnesota 46 for 12-yard return on a 40-yard short, high punt into the wind.

• Smith with the sack on a blitz. Vikings at the 18 and punting.

• Run by Cook, pass to Conklin net 4 yards and Vikings face third-and-6 at the 24.

• The bad thing about Osborn's touchdown is it looks like the Bears offense finally did something in a third quarter, which, of course, they haven't.

• Vikings'  KJ Osborn bobbles punt, gets creamed by Deon Bush at the 22 with 9:13 left in the half.

• Great play by Harrison Smith  leaping to knock down a high pass in the middle of the field to Robinson, who had leverage.  Incomplete and Bears punt.

• Patterson stuffed on a second-down run for no gain and Bears face third-and-7 at their own 28.

• A 37-yard field goal and Bears dodge the big mistake with minimal damage.  Better give Ted Ginn a call and tell him all is forgiven. Bears 13, Vikiings 10

• Incomplete to Thielen in the end zone and Kyle Fuller knocks it away.

• Defense being tested again.

• Harris muffs punt and Josh Metellus recovers at Bears 20.

• Cook tries to cut back but Mingo stops it for a 3-yard gain at 44. Completion to Beebe for only 4 and Vikings punt.

• An incompletion and a 2-yard Cook gain puts Vikes in third-and-8 at the 25 and Jaylon Johnson falls down on a skinny post to Jefferson, netting 14 yards.

• Cordarrelle Patterson breaks a 104-yard kick return for a touchdown. His eighth, tying him for the NFL record for career kick return TDs. Burns the team that gave up on him after drafting him. It breaks Gale Sayers' Beras record of a 103-yard return. He ties Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington for most career kick return TDs with eight.  Bears 13, Vikings 7

Second Quarter

• Vikings lose a yard left and let half end. Vikings 7, Bears 6.

• Mack shows he can do more than intercept, puts hammer down on Cook after no gain with a solo.

• After touchback, Vikings at own 25

• The defense has produced two turnovers. Mario Edwards said this week if you get two in a game, you're in the win column. Yet Bears offense is so challenged they are still losing the game.

• Blitz nearly gets to Foles and he throws quickly to Nall, who can't reach out for it. On third-and-10 Foles tries to roll and throw but no one is open and he nearly throws a pick to Miller with Patterson right next to Miller. Bears try Santos 42-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the half. Santos makes his 14th straight field goal. Five plays, 21 yards, 1:02 on drive. 49 seconds left. Vikings 7, Bears 6

• With 1:51 left in half at Vikings 45, Anthony Miller catches short dumpoff underneath and races to the 25 for 20 yards. Then a Ryan Nall run for no gain.

• Khalil Mack pulls ovv in coverage and intercepts pass to Thielen and returns it 33 yards to the Vikings 45. Mack grabbed it out of Thielen's hands and raced upfield.
• Thielen never had much success in the past against Bears coverage since about 2017 but they are getting him open with ease, especially on third down. And the pass rush continues to have trouble getting near Cousins even when he isn't using a play-fake.

• Thielen gets wide open against the zone as Skkrine is running upfield for some reason. An 11-yard gain to the 28. For some reason a loud amber alert siren is going off in stadium. They finally shut it off. 

• Whatever you think of the way Lazor has called plays, the result has been the same. Three points so far and the defense is constantly fighting from behind.  Not easy to do.

• Vikings didn't like what they saw and called a timeout just before ball was snapped on second-and-8 at 39 with 2:18 left in half.

• Bisi Johnson catches a 13-yarder on first down, then Cook runs OB for 2 to Bears 39 with 2:35 left in half.

• Cousins to Tyler Conklin for 9 to the Vikings 41. Smith gets a TFL on Cook and it's third-and-2. Cook gets 6 on run up middle. Vikings are 5 for 6 against the best third down defense in the NFL.

• Toss in flat to Cook beats blitz for 9 as Kyle Fuller misses a tackle on the sideline. Then Cook gets 3 and a first down.

• So far Lazor has some nice ideas and the blocking on some runs has been there, but they have nothing when they are in predictable long down-and-distance plays. The killer seems to be not having a Tarik Cohen, someone fast to throw to underneath on second down to get 8, 9, 10 yards. Cohen always kept the Vikings linebackers honest.

• Teams have traded touchbacks on punts. With 6:32 left in half, Vikings have it at their own 20.

• Artavis Pierce's first career run is for 6 off right tackle. They seem to have found something on that side. Vikings stuff Patterson for a yard loss and Bears face third-and-4 at the Viings 47. Blitz up the A gap gets Foles. Wilson gets the sack and Bears will punt unless they want to fake to Barkevious Mingo

• Bad spot on Foles scramble and they give him 2 not 3. Then Foles throws on the run to Kmet, kind of an accidental catch for 7 as he was throwing to someone else. Bears at 47.

• Good use of wildcat by Bill Lazor, as Patterson got 6 off right tackle.

• Patterson on stretch play right for 4. Line has had a nice surge on the stretch plays. RPO pass on slant to Robinson for 8 and first down.

• Cousins has started 10 of 11. 

• Touchback on punt on nice play to disrupt the coverage of a bouncing punt by return man Dwayne Harris, letting it go to the end zone. 

• Blitz is detected and Cousins gets away and throws to Cook but Roquan Smith snuffs it for a 4-yard loss. Vikinigs try a wide receiver screen on third and 14 and it goes nowhere so they line up to punt from Bears 46.

• A 23-yard pass to Justin Jefferson on third-and-5. He was wide open with no pass rush again. At Bears 47.

First Quarter

• Touchback and Vikings throw deep incomplete to Jefferson as Bilal Nichols gets heat on Cousins. Cook gets 5 driving as quarter ends. Vikings 7, Bears 3

• Foles throws incomplete under pressure to Miller and Bears settle for a 23-yard Cairo Santos field goal with 35 seconds left in the quarter. Vikings 7, Bears 3

• Harrison Smith almost another pick as Foles is hit passing on first down.  Then Patterson leaps on toss play left and gets only 2 yards because he left his feet. Third-and-goal at the 5

• Third-and-8 pass for 10 to Patterson at the Vikings 7. Pushed OB

• Foles drops in a 24-yard pass to Robinson to the 19. Bears rush to get play off because it could have been OB. Close on replay. On the play, Darnell Mooney had broken deep with no safety around and Foles didn't see him.

• Robinson play-action for just 5 yards. Patterson then runs off left guard and gets a first down to the Vikings 43. 

• Seven-yard screen to Allen Robinson and Bears' Cole Kmet got away with a hold.  A 3-yard psas to Darnell Mooney for first down at Bears 47.

• Toss right to Cordarrelle Patterson nets 5, then Lamar Miller catches a 7-yard pass for first Bears first down.

• No pass rush on Cousins at all so far by the way. This hasn't been because of the threat of the run because they've been blocking plain old passes out of the gun.

• The Bears' third-down defense has been good all year but leaking the last two games, and it's usually been Danny Trevathan or Buster Skrine beaten on the plays. Vikings beat the Bears at both of their strengths: TD in red zone and on third down. The Bears lead the league in both categories on defense.

• Third-and-3 pass for 17 yards and a one-hand Adam Thielen TD catch over Buster Skrine with 6:29 left in the first quarter. Six plays, 41 yards, 3:05. Vikings 7, Bears 0

• Vikings face third-and-5 after two Cook runs and Chad Beebe gets a dump off pass wide open over the middle that Trevathan can't stop for 12 yards. 

• Miller has been the cause of two turnovers in his last two quarters.

• Bears defense did its job again, taking away the ball. The inept offense gave it right back.

• Harrison Smith intercepts second-down pass deflected off Anthony Miller's hand. Smith is a constant thorn to the Bears, but that one was an easy play as Miller couldn't hold a hard, high throw by Nick Foles that was entirely catchable. Vikings ball at Bears 41 after a 9-yard return.

• Fumble by Kyle Rudolph upheld by replay. Tashaun Gipson actually forced and recovered it but they gave the force on stats to Danny Trevathan

• Boot pass to CJ Ham gains 8 after a 5-yard run by Cook and a first down at Viking 49. Adam Theilen beats Buster Skrine for 9 on pass to Bears 40 

• Vikings ran and passed Cook for 6 yards and face third-and-4 at 31. But Danny Trevathan jumps offsides for a first down.

• Touchback. Vikings at their own 25.

The Bears won the toss and have deferred. Winds 11 mph out of west, northwest. Game time temp 44 degrees

 Bears made several roster changes in the afternoon prior to Monday night's game, including a few which could greatly impact their starting offensive line.

Starting center Cody Whitehair was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Whitehair has been on there for almost two weeks, and he also had a calf injury which had forced him to leave the game with the Rams late three weeks ago.

If Whitehair is able to start, the Bears also could have another veteran lineman playing because they have activated Eric Kush from the practice squad to the roster, along with running back Lamar Miller.

This would be Miller's first NFL action since August, 2019, when he suffered a torn ACL while with Houston. 

 Alex Bars is starting at left guard alongside Whitehair with the first team, so Kush would appear to be slated for backup duties.

Kush last started for the Bears in the 2018 season. He started the first seven games that season before a neck injury and last year played for Cleveland.

Mario Edwards will start at right defensive end with the season-ending injury to Roy Robertson-Harris. Bilal Nichols is at starting nose tackle.

They have also elevated quarterback Tyler Bray as a COVID-19 replacement. Reserve lineman Lachavious Simmons is still on Reserve/COVID-19 and Bray is needed on the 53-man roster because Mitchell Trubisky has been ruled out for Monday's game due to a right shoulder injury.

Also, nose tackle Daniel McCullers was promoted to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Nose tackle John Jenkins has an ankle injury and has been ruled out for the game.

The Bears come into Monday night's game with a 56-60-2 record against the Vikings in a series dating back to 1961. The Bears have won four straight in the series.

Inactives

Vikings

• G Dru Samia (illness)
• WR Tajae Sharpe
• LB Ryan Connelly
• TE Irv Smith (groin)
• CB Cameron Dantzler (concusson
• DE Jordan Brailford (personal)
• DT James Lynch

Bears

• QB Mitchell Trubisky (shoulder)
• DB Sherrick McManis (hand)
• RB David Montgomery (concussion)
• C Sam Mustipher (knee)
• NT John Jenkins (ankle)
• LB Trevis Gipson
• DT Anthony Rush

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