It Was Fun While It Lasted

After last Thursday’s victory at FedEx Field in Washington, many Bears fans thought that the team had finally turned a corner. Amidst rumors surrounding the future of the coaching staff, the future of the quarterback, and the team not winning a regular-season game in almost a full calendar year, the Bears provided fans with a new feeling: hope. But on a beautiful day on Chicago’s lakefront, all hope was lost with the Minnesota Vikings beating the Bears 19-13 at Soldier Field.

Entering the game, the Vikings were dealing with a loss of their own. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson, arguably the best receiver in all of football, suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve. This was just another issue for a Minnesota team that was 1-4, tied for last place in the division, with rumors swirling about the future of the franchise with their quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Even with the odds stacked against them, they still found a way to win.

For Minnesota, Cousins went 21/31 with 181 passing yards, and a touchdown. The Vikings leader in rushing was Alexander Mattison, who they went to 18 times for 44 yards. Their receiving leader was tight end TJ Hockenson, who caught six passes for 50 yards. Other contributors include receivers K.J. Osborn who had four receptions for 48 yards, and Jordan Addison who caught three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for the Vikings to leave the windy city victorious.

For Chicago, it was a disaster. Justin Fields started the game, and never really looked in rhythm. He was knocked out of the game early in the third quarter with what has now been diagnosed as a dislocated thumb. He finished his day 6/10 with 58 passing yards and an interception. He also carried the ball eight times for 46 rushing yards. He was sacked sacked times. He’s currently listed as doubtful to play against Las Vegas on Sunday. In relief of Fields, undrafted rookie QB Tyson Bagent came into the game and went 10/14, 83 passing yards, and a game-losing interception. On the bright side, he did have his first NFL touchdown, a one-yard rushing TD. He also fumbled a ball that Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks returned for a touchdown. The top rusher for the Bears was D’Onta Foreman, who played in relief of Khalil Herbert (placed on Injured Reserve), Roschon Johnson (concussion) and Travis Homer (hamstring). He carried the ball 15 times for 65 yards. The other leading rusher (besides Fields) was Darrynton Evans, who ran the ball nine times for 32 yards. The leading receiver for the Bears was DJ Moore, with five catches for 51 yards. Other receivers include Darnell Mooney (two catches for 48 yards) and Tyler Scott (two catches for 12 yards).

So what’s next for the Bears? Well, they play against the Las Vegas Raiders next week at home, and they’re coming off a victory against the New England Patriots. Chicago will likely be without Fields for this game, so it’ll be a tall task to get a win. Nevertheless, games aren’t played on paper, and we’ll have to see if the Bears can get it done.