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Vikings get to 13-3 for playoff bye by beating Bears 23-10
Associated PressJan 4, 2018, 11:11 AM EST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota's defense turned in another dominant performance and Latavius Murray rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Vikings secure a first-round bye for the playoffs with a 23-10 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Stefon Diggs caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (13-3), who reached 13 wins for only the second time in the history of the 57-year-old franchise after holding a second straight opponent without an offensive touchdown.
Mitchell Trubisky finished his rookie season with a turnover-free game, completing 20 of 36 passes for 178 yards. He failed, however, to guide the Bears (5-11) across the goal line despite 11 plays from the 10-yard line or closer in the fourth quarter.
Road to Super Bowl LII: Stream, start time, highlights and more
Trubisky also took a safety in the second quarter on an intentional grounding call when Danielle Hunter and Linval Joseph closed in on a sack in the end zone and he side-armed a throw between the two pass rushers.
In what could have been the final game for coach John Fox, who's 14-34 in three seasons, the Bears didn't cross midfield until the fourth quarter and totaled only 30 yards rushing. They were penalized 10 times for 116 yards and went 1 for 14 on third and fourth down conversions.
The Bears are 1-5 against each of their three NFC North foes under Fox.
After a 31-24 loss at Carolina on Dec. 10, the Vikings took advantage of teams playing out the string in the last three games to get set for the playoffs.
Murray has rather quietly been one of their most productive players down the stretch, helping the Vikings move the chains and work the clock while the defense holds the lead.
Over the past two years, only Ezekiel Elliott (22 for Dallas) has more rushing touchdowns in the NFL than Murray (20, including 12 for Oakland last season).
SNEAKY SPECIAL TEAMS
The Bears stopped a streak of 90 minutes and 32 seconds by the Vikings without allowing a score, when Bryce Callahan returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown with 5:50 left in the second quarter. Callahan knelt near the sideline while Tarik Cohen lined up on the opposite side as the expected returner, before sprinting for a sliding catch of the kick that hung over the middle of the field. He leaped to his feet and veered left past the confused Vikings and untouched for the score.
The Bears pulled a pair of fast ones on the Vikings in their matchup earlier this season, when Benny Cunningham caught a pass from Pat O'Donnell on a fake punt for a 38-yard touchdown and Trubisky scored on a 2-point conversion play when the ball changed hands four times.
VIKINGS RECORD BOOK LOOK
The Vikings finished 12-2 four times with a 14-game schedule (1969, 1970, 1973 and 1975), but the only other time they've topped 12 victories was their 15-1 record in 1998. … Diggs became the fastest player in Vikings history to reach 200 receptions, in 40 games. … Adam Thielen had six catches for 61 yards and finished with 91 receptions for 1,276 yards for the season, finishing seventh and ninth in team history. Randy Moss and Cris Carter are the only ones ahead on either list.
LINE SHUFFLE
Vikings quarterback Case Keenum took his share of hits and never quite found the rhythm in the passing attack he was able to establish in most of his starts this season, behind an offensive line that has shown some wear down the stretch as the injury list has increased.
Joe Berger, who switched from right guard to center with Pat Elflein shelved for a shoulder injury for the second time in four weeks, was the only original starter to play in all 16 games. Mike Remmers moved from right tackle into Berger's spot. Jeremiah Sirles started at left guard for Nick Easton, who will miss the playoffs because of a broken ankle.
Bears: Two starting offensive linemen, LT Bobby Massie and RG Josh Sitton, did not suit up.
Vikings: FB C.J. Ham hurt his neck and was ruled out early in the third quarter.
The Vikings enter the NFC playoffs with a bye for only the fourth time since the current format began in 1990. They'll host one of the wild-card round winners on Jan. 13 or 14.
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Tags: super bowl, Adam Thielen, Benny Cunningham, Bobby Massie, Bryce Callahan, C.J. Ham, Case Keenum, Danielle Hunter, Ezekiel Elliott, Jeremiah Sirles, Joe Berger, Josh Sitton, Latavius Murray, Linval Joseph, Mike Remmers, Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Easton, Pat Elflein, Pat O'Donnell, Stefon Diggs, Tarik Cohen
Bridgewater, Vikings beat Chargers 23-10 in stadium opener
Associated PressAug 28, 2016, 9:29 PM EDT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Teddy Bridgewater was sharp in his return from a sore shoulder, completing 12 of 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in the first half for the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-10 exhibition victory Sunday over the San Diego Chargers in the official unveiling their new stadium.
After sitting out last week at Seattle, Bridgewater found Kyle Rudolph for a 27-yard score and led the Vikings to points on three of five possessions. Bridgewater even put a slick juke on strong safety Adrian Phillips to further a 22-yard run that set up one of three short field goals by Blair Walsh.
Melvin Gordon, aiming to rebound from a rough rookie season, cruised through the middle of Minnesota's starting defense for a 39-yard touchdown run. San Diego lost running back Branden Oliver, though, to an Achilles tendon injury on his right leg that required a cart to take him off. Oliver is the primary kickoff returner and a contributing backup behind Gordon and Danny Woodhead.
With sunlight streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling glass on the west side and through the translucent, space-age roof, the Vikings enjoyed a gleaming debut for U.S. Bank Stadium. The sold-out crowd of 66,143 was the largest at home in franchise history.
The Chargers undoubtedly felt some envy, with their decade-and-a-half quest to replace 49-year-old Qualcomm Stadium still unfulfilled and a move to Los Angeles still a possibility. This game was conveniently scheduled for national broadcast on Fox, in case folks in San Diego were still on the fence about public funding.
Philip Rivers went 5 for 9 for 54 yards and an interception, one of three by the Vikings. Rookies Jayron Kearse and Mackensie Alexander picked off Chargers third-stringer Mike Bercovici, who's competing with Zach Mettenberger for a roster spot.
Bercovici threw three straight passes into the end zone in the fourth quarter that the Vikings had their hands on, the last one finally intercepted by second-round draft pick Alexander.
With Adrian Peterson resting on the sideline, backup Jerick McKinnon rushed eight times for 56 yards. Stefon Diggs caught five passes for 71 yards, all in the first half. Cordarrelle Patterson recovered MyCole Pruitt's fumble, one of two lost by the Vikings, in the end zone for a touchdown.
ROOKIE WATCH
Chargers: Sixth-round draft pick Drew Kaser dropped three punts inside the 10-yard line.
Vikings: WR Laquon Treadwell made a tricky catch on a fade route in the corner of the end zone on a 2-point conversion pass from Shaun Hill.
POSITION BATTLES
Chargers: DE Darius Philon had a sack in the first half, continuing a decent training camp in place of holdout rookie Joey Bosa. With Bosa unsigned in a public dispute over his contract, DT Damion Square suspended for the first four games for an NFL substance abuse policy violation and DT Sean Lissemore (shoulder) out for the season, the Chargers need Philon to help stabilize a depleted front.
Vikings: Joe Berger played the whole first half with the first team at center over John Sullivan, who missed last season with a back injury and has not been assured of getting back his job. Berger, entering his 12th NFL season, is also the primary backup at both guard spots.
Chargers: Beside Oliver, RT Joe Barksdale also came out of the game in the first half, limping off with a left ankle injury.
Vikings: Backup safety Antone Exum, hurt playing on the kickoff return team, left on a cart for X-rays on his leg.
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Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson, Adrian Phillips, Antone Exum, Blair Walsh, Branden Oliver, Cordarrelle Patterson, Damion Square, Danny Woodhead, Darius Philon, Drew Kaser, Jayron Kearse, Jerick McKinnon, Joe Barksdale, Joe Berger, Joey Bosa, John Sullivan, Kyle Rudolph, Laquon Treadwell, Mackensie Alexander, Melvin Gordon, Mike Bercovici, MyCole Pruitt, Philip Rivers, Sean Lissemore, Shaun Hill, Stefon Diggs, Teddy Bridgewater, Zach Mettenberger
Vikings get to 13-3 for playoff bye by beating Bears 23-10 January 4, 2018 11:11 am Bridgewater, Vikings beat Chargers 23-10 in stadium opener August 28, 2016 9:29 pm