Vikings delivered a dominant defensive performance that simply wore down the Bears

By DAVE CAMPBELL The Associated Press

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass over Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Abbie Parr]

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Caleb Williams had just trudged off the field after being chased all over the backfield by Minnesota’s Jonathan Greenard during another failed third-down play for Chicago when he plopped down on the bench and rolled his head back in exhaustion.

Having taken a hard, clean hit to the midsection by Jihad Ward right before he released the ball on that incompletion early in the fourth quarter, Williams leaned to his left as if he were looking for a place to lie down in what appeared to be a mix of fatigue, pain and frustration.

The Vikings can have that effect on a young quarterback.

“We were really disciplined, but it just felt explosive, guys flying off the edges,” coach Kevin O’Connell said after the 30-12 victory over the Bears on Monday night. “When that thing is moving, it just felt like it was relentless.”

Though the Vikings only registered two sacks, they had Williams on his heels all night. The first overall pick in the draft used his exceptional athleticism to evade some of the pressure, but he often started scrambling sooner than he needed to and several of his throws were badly off target. Williams had only three completions of 15-plus yards, all in the second half while the Bears trailed by two or more scores.

Williams finished 18 for 31 for 191 yards and one touchdown for an 86.9 passer rating, his worst in six weeks. His interception-free streak stretched to eight straight games and 286 consecutive passes, an NFL rookie record, but the Vikings delivered the type of dominant defensive performance they’d been missing lately on their way to a seventh straight win and a 12-2 record to tie Detroit for first place in the NFC North. Greenard’s sack in the first quarter forced a fumble to set up their first touchdown. Dallas Turner’s sack in the fourth quarter forced a punt.

Three weeks ago at Chicago, Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota’s 30-27 overtime victory.

“We watched the film last time and he was out there looking like a magician, so today we were like, ‘Let’s not let him look like that this time,’” safety Cam Bynum said. “He still escaped a few times and made it tough on us on the back end, but they were still chasing him down up front.”

What’s working

Aaron Jones and Cam Akers scored to give the Vikings two rushing touchdowns in a game for the first time in 2024, and the Vikings turned 27.6% of their rushing attempts into first downs, according to Sportradar, their third-highest rate of the season.

What needs help

Sam Darnold was sacked only twice on a season-high 42 dropbacks, but he felt plenty of duress in the pocket against the Bears. His average yards per pass attempt (5.78) was his second lowest of the season.

Stock up

Turner has been steadily becoming more of a regular presence despite the limited playing time behind standout edge rushers Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. The rookie registered his first sack on Monday night since the season opener with a speed move on Bears right tackle Darnell Wright.

“I think you saw a little bit of everything: the speed, the burst, the bend,” O’Connell said.

Stock down

Left tackle Cam Robinson, who has been an otherwise excellent emergency replacement for the injured Christian Darrisaw, had four penalties on Monday: three false starts and one illegal formation.

Injury report

Right tackle Brian O’Neill played 63 of 77 snaps despite a right knee injury — from a Bears defensive lineman rolling up on the back of his leg in the first quarter — that he later aggravated. With one fewer day to recover, his status for Sunday at Seattle will be in question, but no structural damage was found, only soreness.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, after being sidelined by a hamstring strain the last two games, will be on track to return against the Seahawks. Two key backups, cornerback Fabian Moreau (hip) and defensive lineman Jalen Redmond (concussion), will be evaluated as the week unfolds.

Key number

28 — The Vikings are tied for second in the NFL in takeaways, with 20 interceptions and eight recovered opponent fumbles. With at least one turnover forced in all 14 games this season, the only team in the league to do so, Vikings have their longest streak since 1992 when they got at least one in all 16 games.

Up next

The Vikings have lost five straight games at Lumen Field in Seattle since their only win at the 23-year-old venue in 2006. After three consecutive games in the comfort of U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings must play in one of the league’s most challenging environments for visiting teams under the cantilevered upper deck that magnifies the crowd noise. The Seahawks (8-6) just had their four-game winning streak stopped by Green Bay.

Then the Vikings host the Packers and play at the Lions in what could be a division title game. If they win out, they’ll be the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a first-round bye. Just one more loss, though, could wind up slotting them as the No. 5 seed and potentially keep them on the road for the entire postseason.

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