Vikings

LIVE BLOG: Vikings Beat Bears on Last-Second Field Goal

(photo credit: Kyle Hansen)

The Minnesota Vikings have lost eight of nine and 14 of 16 road games against the Chicago Bears. They head into Monday night’s contest with a lot at stake. A win, and they’ll be poised to tie the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North lead with a win on Sunday. A loss, and they’ll plunge to last in the division.

Sam Bradford is back at quarterback after a three-game hiatus with a knee injury. Mitch Trubisky, the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, makes his first career start. The Vikings will play for the first time this season without blossoming rookie Dalvin Cook. Meanwhile, they’ll have to stop running backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, Chicago’s primary source of offense.

Storylines abound as the Vikings and Bears take center stage on Monday Night Football.

Follow along right here for live commentary throughout the game.

10:40 p.m.: That’s a final. The Vikings survive 20-17 on Kai Forbath’s 26-yard field goal. It wasn’t pretty, but a road win anywhere is a good one. Vikings can tie the Packers for the division lead on Sunday.

10:26 p.m.: Vikings came up about seven yards shy of giving Kai Forbath a chance. Sixty-two yards would have been too long. Vikings will punt it back to Chicago — no fake — with 2:32 to go.

10:18 p.m.: If the Vikings are who they think they are, they will drive the field and score here.

And McKinnon is making it a little easier to forget about Dalvin Cook.

10:13 p.m.: Trae Waynes with a third-down breakup. Huge play in the game.

10:07 p.m.: Nobody has been stopped in the second half. Two touchdowns apiece. Vikings continue to get bludgeoned by penalties, though, as a Stefon Diggs hold takes the Vikings out of Bears territory.

10:00 p.m.: Here we go. Tied at 17 in the fourth quarter. Chicago just took advantage of three defensive penalties to drive 79 yards for a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion. The touchdown came on a tipped pass. The conversion was an unbelievable end-around followed by a lateral. Crazy things happening.

9:50 p.m.: Vikings brought the house on third and long, but the mobile Trubisky evades and picks up 13 yards, plus a Minnesota penalty. Defensive penalties are starting to pile up like they did against Pittsburgh. Chicago is driving, somewhat, as we head to the fourth quarter.

9:41 p.m.: Don’t tear up your Over tickets just yet! Jerick McKinnon scampers 58 yards for a touchdown and the Vikings lead 17-9. It’s the longest run of his career. Keenum has led the Vikings offense to two touchdowns in two tries in the second half.

9:33 p.m.: Chicago just scored on a fake punt with some hideous tackling along the way. Benny Cunningham with the touchdown. Mike Priefer has to be steaming.

Bears opted to take the point after and pull point within one point at 10-9. It’s practically a shootout now!

9:26 p.m.: The Vikings do, indeed, take the lead on a great roll-out and pass by Case Keenum to Kyle Rudolph. The celebration afterward has caused some controversy with the Vikings executing a children’s game entitled “Duck, Duck…” … what, exactly?

9:19 p.m.: Smartly, the Vikings are involving Jerick McKinnon more and reaping the benefits. They’re also feeding Adam Thielen while Stefon Diggs spends some, ahem, quality time with a trainer on the sideline, who is working on his groin. If Vikings can score a touchdown, an eight-point lead might hold up the rest of the way.

9:10 p.m.: Time for the second half. Have to like the Vikings chances, honestly, to be leading at this point despite a 77-yard first half.

8:57 p.m.: Some quick-twitch takeaways from the first-half stat sheet, Minnesota kept Trubisky in check completely after his hot start. The rookie completed none of his final six passes. Rush defense was also outstanding, keeping the Bears to 2.6 yards per carry. Basically every receiver but Adam Thielen was M.I.A., including the recently-activated Michael Floyd.

This will be Case Keenum’s second half, which is a good decision. Bradford averaged 3.3 yards per pass attempt and took four sacks, including a safety that was his fault. With a short week coming up, it may not be too early to question his status for the Green Bay game next Sunday.

8:56 p.m.: A baffling end to the half as the Vikings run a play over the middle as if it were college football and the clock stopped on first downs. It doesn’t. Minnesota fails to score, but leads 3-2 at the break.

8:48 p.m.: The Vikings lead 3-2 despite Bradford taking his fourth sack. Seems like Bradford might be done for the night. But hey, he might get credit for a win in this one!

8:43 p.m.: Random thought, but Brett Favre’s career was amazing. He played injured constantly and put up huge numbers, always made the throws he needed to. Look at Bradford tonight and how ‘off’ he looks. It’s hard to play hurt in football. Favre did it for two decades.

8:41 p.m.: Everson Griffen with the game’s biggest play: a strip sack of Trubisky to give the Vikings the ball in the red zone. He’s got at least one sack in every game.

8:33 p.m.: It’s 2-0 Bears at the midway point of the second quarter. Mitch Trubisky has produced zero points but is still vastly outplaying Sam Bradford. Vikings looking for a spark — anything — to get them going.

8:26 p.m.: Bears with the ball back, inside their own 20 for a change. Defense or special teams may have to steal this one for Minnesota, as it did several times last season.

8:20 p.m.: The Vikings have gained a first down! Stop the presses!

…But wow, does Bradford look inaccurate, a word rarely used to describe him.

8:12 p.m.: Flags rescue the Vikings again as Mackensie Alexander got held by Markus Wheaton to nullify a touchdown. Minnesota flirting with disaster here in the first half.

8:06 p.m.: Sam Bradford held the ball for about three minutes in the end zone and got tackled for a safety. Bears 2, Vikings 0. You’d expect a checkdown on that play, usually, but the Vikings actually gave Bradford an awesome pocket that he didn’t utilize. What a brutal start.

7:58 p.m.: You might have heard Jon Gruden talking earlier about Trae Waynes’ struggles against the run. That feels like an unresearched take. Sure, he failed to contain once against Detroit, but generally he’s been a strong tackler this year and throughout his three-year career.

7:55 p.m.: Worth wondering how healthy Sam Bradford’s knee is after several spotty throws. His greatest strength is short passes, and he hasn’t hit one yet. Vikings have made their mark with downfield passes this season, but the thick Chicago turf may neuter some of their speed.

7:49 p.m.: Chicago can’t wait to let Trubisky throw until third down every time. I’d work this one backwards if I were coordinating. Let him complete short passes on first and second down, then rely on the run on third down. Why put Trubisky in obvious passing situations again a terrific pass-rushing defense that recorded six sacks last week?

7:42 p.m.: Minnesota goes three-and-out with Bradford starting 0 for 2. It’s safe to say that defenses were really respecting Dalvin Cook, which opened up some passing options. Will they respect Latavius Murray in the same fashion? Not convinced.

Then Tramaine Brock over-runs Cohen on the return, allowing the longest punt return against the Vikings all season. They’d allowed -1 yard combined before that.

7:37 p.m.: Vikings saved by a Bears holding call, but look out, Trubisky looks good. We’ll see if that lasts once he has to face a little adversity. Best thing the Vikings could do, obviously, would be to grab an early lead and make the rookie play from behind.

7:34 p.m.: Two first-down passes from Trubisky to Kendall Wright. Then Howard beats the Vikings to the edge. This is likely a scripted first drive for the Bears offense. Trae Waynes beaten twice in coverage despite being close to the receiver. We see too much of that.

7:30 p.m.: Alright, kickoff seconds away. Hope you’re all settled in. I’m fascinated in how the Vikings will attack Trubisky tonight. He was great in the preseason: 68 percent passing, 364 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions. But that’s a different beast. How will be handle the Vikings’ blitz? That remains to be seen.

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