In what was essentially a playoff game, the Chicago Bears fought to keep their postseason hopes alive with a 33-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings. It certainly felt like a playoff game, especially with the back-and-forth in the second half, Cairo Santos’ clutch field goals and a failed Vikings Hail Mary at the end of the game.
The Bears offense was once again the talk of the game, as they put up 30 points for the third straight game. It was another beautifully-called game by offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who leaned heavily on running back David Montgomery — who had 146 yards on 32 carries — and continued to utilize quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s strengths.
While Chicago’s defense struggled containing Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who had his best outing against the Bears with 132 yards on 24 carries, they did come up big with the game on the line. Chicago’s defense came up with a big stop on fourth-and-1, which gave the ball back to the Bears offense and led to a field goal that put them up six. The defense also survived a late rally by the Vikings in the final minute, breaking up a Hail Mary attempt.
The Bears advance to 7-7 on the season and keep their slim playoff chances alive. After losing six straight games, Chicago has won their last two and still have something to play for in late December.