Vikings take care of business against Bears for seventh consecutive win

The Vikings weren't at their best in some regards, but they still cruised to another victory.

Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) is sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Vikings' seventh consecutive victory wasn't as smooth or impressive as the sixth, but they don't mind. Results are all that matters, especially at this point of the season.

In a somewhat sloppy game at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minnesota did what it needed to do, beating the Bears 30-12 on Monday Night Football. The Vikings' defense and run game led the way on a primetime evening where Sam Darnold and the passing game weren't overly sharp.

The win improves the Vikings to 12-2 and pulls them into a tie with the Lions atop the NFC North. Detroit currently has the head-to-head tiebreaker, but the two teams will meet again in Week 18, so the Vikings control their own destiny with three weeks to play. With the Eagles also at 12-2, it's a three-team race for the coveted No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the conference. The Lions' mounting injuries might make things tough on them.

The Bears are now 4-10. They've lost eight in a row after a 4-2 start.

Eight days after he lit up the Falcons for 347 and five touchdowns, Darnold had his shakiest performance in a while. He finished 24 of 40 for 231 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His 74.1 passer rating marked just the third time in 14 games that he's finished below 100 in that department. He also threw his first pick since Week 10, although it was a heave on fourth down as he was about to get sacked.

The offensive line didn't help Darnold much; they allowed a significant amount of pressure. Right tackle Brian O'Neill left the field twice due to a knee injury but was able to return.

Justin Jefferson caught Darnold's lone touchdown pass and gave a national-TV shoutout to Randy Moss, who is battling cancer. Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson combined for 19 receptions and 188 yards. Aaron Jones led the Vikings with 106 yards from scrimmage, and both he and Cam Akers scored one-yard rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, the Vikings held Caleb Williams and the Bears without a touchdown until there were five minutes left in the game. Chicago was 1 for 12 on third down and turned it over on downs twice.

The teams combined for a whopping 19 penalties. The stadium whiteout looked good, but the game itself wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing.

The Vikings' defense came to play early in the game, which made up for an inconsistent offensive start. The Bears went for it on fourth and 1 in their own territory on the opening possession and got stuffed, which turned into a 52-yard field goal for Will Reichard. On the ensuing series, Williams was blown up by Jonathan Greenard for a strip-sack that Blake Cashman recovered. That time, the Vikings took advantage of the short field and got into the end zone on Jefferson's touchdown reception.

The halftime lead was 13-0 for Minnesota. It could've been a bigger advantage, but they had two drives in the second quarter end in a total of three points. Kevin O'Connell elected to go for it on fourth and 4 in field goal range, and the play ended in Darnold throwing his first interception in over a month. At the end of the half, the Vikings had to settle for a short field goal after Jefferson dropped what would've been a sure touchdown.

The Vikings punted on their first two possessions of the second half, but then scored a pair of touchdowns to essentially put the game away. The Bears were unable to replicate their Week 12 heroics late in regulation.

Next up for Minnesota is a trip to Seattle to play the Seahawks, who may or may not have quarterback Geno Smith available.

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