Bears Slay Vikings 28-10
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Nov 26, 2012 4:40PM
On Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, the Bears resembled the team that roared to a 7-1 first half record and not the team that dropped two straight games. All three phases of the team's game were on display in a 28-10 defeat of the Minnestoa Vikings in a critical NFC North match-up. While the Bears got Jay Cutler back this week, Sunday's victory may come at a price as a number of key players exited the game with injuries.
The Vikings struck first, capitalizing on a Matt Forte fumble to take an early 3-0 lead. The Bears returned the favor, however, when Nick Roach forced Adrian Peterson's first fumble of the year and Charles Tillman recovered. Starting at the Vikings' 34-yard line, the Bears took the lead for good when Michael Bush scored a touchdown from a yard out. A Robbie Gould field goal extended the Bears' lead to 10-3 by the end of the first quarter.
Following a blocked field goal by Julius Peppers, the Bears embarked on a methodical, 14-play, eight minute drive. A pass interference call in the end zone on a 25-yard pass intended for Brandon Marshall gave the Bears the ball on the one yard line, where Michael Bush again punched it in for six. Seeing a Vikings alignment they liked on the extra point attempt, the Bears changed up the play and ran holder Adam Podlesh up the middle for a two point conversion and an 18-3 advantage. Chris Conte picked off a Christian Ponder pass on Minnesota's next possession and ran it back 35 yards to the Vikings' 13. On their first offensive play, Jay Cutler hit Matt Spaeth, who managed to get both feet in bounds along the side of the end zone for another quick TD and a 25-3 lead. Trying to extend that before halftime, the Vikings avenged Julius Pepper's earlier block with one of their own to keep Bears lead at just 22 at the half.
A Jay Cutler interception on the Bears' first possession of the second half turned into a quick touchdown drive for the Vikings and pulled Minnesota to within 15 points, but they never got any closer. Robbie Gould's second field goal of the day completed the scoring, as neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
Jay Cutler showed little affect of the concussion suffered against the Houston Texans two weeks ago, completing 23 of 31 passes for 188 yards, one touchdown pass and one tipped ball interception. Brandon Marshall, his favorite target all season, caught 12 passes for 92 yards and surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the season, but dropped what would've been a 40-yard TD strike in the end zone. Michael Bush led the Bears running attack with 60 yards on 21 carries, while Matt Forte ran the ball 14 times for 42 yards. The defense added to their league-best turnover numbers, with Chris Conte picking off Christian Ponder, and the team recovering two fumbles. Tillman recovered one in the first quarter before he exited the game, and Major Wright pounced on one in the fourth quarter.
On their way to victory, five Bears starters hobbled off the field. Charles Tillman, having the best year of his career, left in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Devin Hester suffered an apparent concussion early in the game. Matt Forte also injured his ankle on a play that at first appeared to be a fumble and Minnesota TD that was overturned on review. The already thin offensive line lost two—Lance Louis and newly installed starter Chris Spencer, both to knee injuries. Having already lost Chilo Rachal after he left the team earlier in the week and the team chose to place him on the reserve/non-football injury list, the offensive line is a huge concern even as they did a decent job of protecting Cutler on Sunday.
Bears fans can now expect to anxiously await word out of Halas Hall on all five of the injured Bears, as the team licks its wounds and prepares for its match-up next Sunday with the 6-5 Seattle Seahawks. Combined with Green Bay's loss on Sunday night, the Bears have regained sole possession of first place in the NFC North but if the Bears have to play without some critical pieces of their roster it may prove difficult to hold off the Packers through the end of the regular season.