Vikings-Bears

The Minnesota Vikings haven't had much recent success at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears defense is a big reason for that. IThe Vikings worked their way through that defense last night for a 19-13 win. It should've been an easy win but things are never easy in Chicago. The Vikings are now on a three-game win streak. All three games of that streak are division games. After a terrible 1-5 start to the season, they are now 4-5. 

Dalvin Cook had been carrying the Vikings offense. Even when they lost but especially when they won. The Bears knew that and Cook was their focus. He gained 96 yards but it took 30 carries to do so. Every yard was a challenge. On most of those 30 carries he was either hit at the line scrimmage or before he got there. More persistent than productive, those carries helped give the Vikings a nearly 12 minute edge in time of possession. Most of the Vikings' 385 offensive yards were on the arm of Kirk Cousins. 

Many of the slappies in the media focus of Cousins' 0-9 record on Monday night. He's always been an easy target for critics and his prime time record is the ammunition they routinely use. I can't speak to the specifics of those nine losses but I know that he wasn't the only player on the field. I also know that the Vikings aren't on a three-game winning streak if Cousins didn't play like he did last night. 

25 completitions

36 attempts

292 yards

2 TDs

100.7 rating

Cousins was accurate and in control of the game all night. He was excellent on third down, completing 10 of 11 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears defense is a beast on all downs. They are the league's best on third downs. Cousins was saddled with an interception but it was a pass that bounced off the hands of Adam Thielen and into the hands of Khalil Mack. 

A Thielen drop is a rare occurrence. Even more rare is a Thielen drop that turns into an interception. It was one of two rare occurrences that probably kept this game from being an easy win for the Vikings. On the opening drive of the game, the offense looked like it cruising to a score until Kyle Rudolph fumbled on the 25-yard line. It was the first fumble of his nine-year career. 

The Vikings have a frustrating tendency of making what should be a nice easy win a very tense win. Despite the difficulty in churning out yards on the ground, the Vikings offense was efficient and proficient enough to put up much more than 19 points. They didn't put up much more than 19 points so the Bears were always within reach of the lead. Fortunately, the emerging Vikings defense shut down the Bears offense. The Bears really had only one drive that amounted to much and that drive ended in a field goal. For the game, the Bears could only manage 149 yards. Until the final two desperation possessions, every Bears possession in the second half was a three-and-out. Still, the Vikings' lead was always within reach. One big play and the Bears are the team celebrating this game. 

The reason that the lead was within reach was because of a former Minnesota Vikings' player. Cordarrelle Patterson returned the second half kickoff 104 yards for the Bears' only touchdown of the game. Mike Zimmer didn't want a kick getting near the hands of Patterson. After the return, it looked like Zimmer was going to fire special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf right there on the sideline. A missed extra point was another special teams miscue that made the game more tense than was necessary. After two blocked punts last week, the Vikings special teams needed a clean game. They didn't get one. 

Cordarrelle Patterson is in the conversation of the best kick returner in NFL history. He was a blast when he played for the Vikings. He's a real pain now. 

Game Balls:

Kirk Cousins

Justin Jefferson: 8 catches, 135 yards

Adam Thielen (despite the drop-interception): 2 TDs

The entire defense

The Vikings are on a three-game win streak. That's a good thing. If there's an easy stretch to their 2020 schedule, it's the next three games. 

Dallas Cowhoys

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

All three games are at home. While no game in the NFL is an easy game those three teams currently have a combined record of 6-22. All three teams have done a lot of losing this season. Here's hoping that they lose three more in the coming weeks. No game is easy. The Panthers threw a scare into the Kansas City Chiefs a couple weeks ago. The Jaguars did the same to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. If the Vikings keep playing smart football, stop making special teams miscues, they have a shot at being 7-5 with the final quarter of the season to play. Those thoughts are for another day. Today is for celebrating the Vikings leaving Chicago with a win.