Vikings

EKSTROM: Bears' Control in the Trenches Set Tone for Win Over Vikings

Photo Credit: Matt Cashore (USA Today Sports)

Three weeks ago when the Minnesota Vikings lost on Sunday Night Football to the New Orleans Saints, they showed signs of life against the league’s top rushing defense, despite suffering an eventual 30-20 loss.

That game occurred during roughly a month-long stretch when the Vikings’ slow-to-start run game began to awaken and provide balance to the offense. With Dalvin Cook at “full go,” the Vikings seemed up for the challenge against another highly-ranked rushing defense in Chicago. But the Bears turned the Vikings one-dimensional Sunday night, holding them to 22 total rushing yards and six points through three-and-a-half quarters in a five-point win to take control of the NFC North.

“It’s hard to throw the football every down against a team like that,” said head coach Mike Zimmer.

According to quarterback Kirk Cousins, three of the team’s keys to victory were “red zone offense, protecting the football” and “running the football well.” All three of those failed on one play in the first half that changed the course of the game.

While being blocked by Kyle Rudolph, game-changer Khalil Mack stripped Cook of the football at the 14-yard line, then recovered it despite being buried beneath a heap of players. Mack’s takeaway took likely points off the board for Minnesota, and perhaps a lead that would never materialize. The new Bears edge rusher was a force and a half, routinely wrecking the pocket on Cousins dropbacks. His presence alone was enough to get the Vikings to run away from him, sending ball carriers to the right side on six of the team’s first seven runs. The eighth run went toward Mack, who forced his fifth fumble.

“It was a gift for him,” said Cook. “With a player like [Mack], you’ve got to know where he’s at on the field at all times. He’s a great player. You’ve got to give it to him, hands down. They play together. They rally to the ball. They’re a good team.”

The Vikings carried it once in the second quarter, twice in the third quarter (both for negative yards) and three times in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings rushed it nine times in the first half for 20 yards and followed it up with five carries in the second half for two yards. Cook led the way with 12 yards on nine carries, and seven of his 12 yards came on one run, leaving him with less than one yard per carry on his remaining eight touts.

The writing was on the wall early when the Vikings faced a 2nd and 2 on the game’s opening drive and failed to gain two yards on consecutive runs that led to a three and out.

The Vikings carried it once in the second quarter, twice in the third quarter (both for negative yards) and three times in the fourth quarter.

But what else could they have done with a two-score deficit for much of the game?

“We became a little one-dimensional, had to play catch up, and it certainly wasn’t what we would have wanted,” said Cousins, “but it was the flow the game dictated.”

On the other side, the Bears blitzed the Vikings for 148 yards on the ground. It was the most rushing yards they’ve allowed this season, which the Bears surpassed by the second play of the second half when Tarik Cohen ran for 21 yards on a 2nd and 21.

The Bears ran it 23 times in the first half for 115 yards as they built a 14-0 lead at the break. They produced 14 carries of five yards or more in the first two quarters, and Mitch Trubisky carried six times for 37 yards as the Vikings lost contain and seemingly didn’t have spies set up until the second half.

The Vikings expect better, though, considering they ranked second against the run a year ago.

“We just have to make a play,” said linebacker Eric Wilson, who recorded the lone sack of Trubisky. “When the quarterback scrambles, it’s hard. He’s not only scrambling, he’s juking guys. We just need someone on him and bring him down. It’s not an easy job at all.”

The Vikings expect better, though, considering they ranked second against the run a year ago and held the Bears to 30 rushing yards in their last meeting. Chicago’s team speed — quarterback included — proved challenging early on for the usually sure-handed Vikings defense. Once Minnesota clamped down in the second half, the damage was done.

“Most of it was missed tackles in the first half, I thought,” said head coach Mike Zimmer.

Just over a month after the Vikings released him, Bears starting left guard Bryan Witzmann played a part in Chicago’s rushing attack. Meanwhile, former Bear Tom Compton made his return from a knee injury at left guard for the Vikings, only to have a tough time containing Mack or opening holes for Cook.

The offensive line as a whole may be scapegoated after its performance on Sunday, but Zimmer readily defended them after the game.

“I think it’s easy to throw blame on one group when there was a lot of things that happened in the course of the ball game,” he said. “Our offensive line is fighting their rear ends off, so I’m not going to place blame on them.”

They weren’t the lone culprits of a frustrating loss, but if the game truly is won or lost in the trenches as the cliche says, then the Bears came away with Ws on both sides of the ball.

With only six games left, the Vikings offensive and defensive lines can’t afford to be outclassed again.


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