Vikings vs. Bears Monday Night Football Live Score Updates — NFL Week 15

Follow along as the Vikings and Bears battle at Soldier Field on MNF.

Time to find out if the Vikings can take care of business and keep their season alive, or if they're going to once again melt down against the Bears with everything on the line.

The Vikings desperately need a win on Monday Night Football. With the Saints winning yesterday, a Vikings loss today would drop their playoff chances to just 5 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight. With a win and an Eagles win on Tuesday night, the Vikings' chances would be at 34 percent — and they'd be in playoff picture as the No. 7 seed heading into Week 16.

On paper, this should be a winnable game for the Vikings. The Bears are missing several key players, including their entire starting secondary, as well as several coaches. They're also 4-9 this season for a reason. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields has struggled to take care of the ball, so Mike Zimmer and the Vikings should be able to pressure him into some mistakes. On the other side of the ball, the Bears haven't been nearly the dominant defense we've seen in the past. With no Khalil Mack and others, Kirk Cousins should have time to find Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn downfield, while Dalvin Cook gets a lot of work in the running game. Adam Thielen is out for the Vikings.

Follow along below for live updates on all of the game's big plays, and follow me on Twitter for commentary, highlights, and more.

Final score: Vikings 17, Bears 9

Read the recap here.

Fourth Quarter

8:30 — Two pass breakups by Patrick Peterson and a catch out of bounds on fourth down leads to another turnover on downs for the Bears.

14:42 — The comedy of errors for the Bears continues. Damiere Byrd muffs the punt and Kris Boyd recovers.

Third Quarter

1:02 — The Bears didn't capitalize on the field position. Justin Fields couldn't find a receiver on fourth and short and turned it over on downs.

2:23 — Jordan Berry's punt just got blocked and went only 17 yards, setting the Bears up with great field position.

Vikings 17, Bears 3

5:51 — A strange drive for the Vikings, kept alive by two huge penalties on the Bears, ends in a touchdown. Justin Jefferson drew three defenders coming out of the backfield and Ihmir Smith-Marsette got wide open for his first career touchdown.

11:32 — That's the second sack of the game for D.J. Wonnum, chasing down Fields deep in the backfield. Wonnum's athleticism has been huge tonight. Bears forced to punt.

Second Quarter

0:00 — A lot going on at the end of the first half. Kirk Cousins threw a pick when the refs missed a clear hold on Justin Jefferson, but the Bears then couldn't get anything going on offense and had their field goal attempted blocked by Dalvin Tomlinson.

Vikings 10, Bears 3

1:33 — The Bears continue to move the ball effectively on offense, but penalties, turnovers, and negative plays have killed their offense. D.J. Wonnum sacked Fields on a red zone screen pass to set them back, and Chicago had to settle for a field goal. Can the Vikings make something happen here before the Bears get the ball to start the second half?

7:28 — The Vikings' defense came up with another takeaway, with Sheldon Richardson stripping David Montgomery in the red zone and recovering the fumble. The officials missed it, so Richardson convinced Mike Zimmer to challenge. The offense then went three and out, but at least it kept the Bears off the scoreboard.

Vikings 10, Bears 0

13:28 — Kirk Cousins gets sacked on third down in the red zone and the Bears hold the Vikings to a field goal off the turnover.

First Quarter

2:37 — Huge play from the Vikings' defense. Cameron Dantzler knocks the ball out of Justin Fields' hands for a fumble that was recovered by Anthony Barr.

Vikings 7, Bears 0

5:03 — There's Jefferson. After the Bears went three and out, the Vikings got it back and drove for a touchdown by getting the ball to their star receiver. An 18-yard gain on third down moved the chains, and a 12-yard touchdown on third down opened the scoring.

11:26 — No targets for Justin Jefferson on a disappointing first drive for the Vikings. Kirk Cousins slightly overthrew Tyler Conklin on third and short and Minnesota punted it away.