PRIMETIME EXORCISM

VIKINGS 19

BEARS 13

For 20 years, the most hated game on every Vikings schedule has been the Chicago road game. Year after year that game is torture to sit through, as good Vikings teams inexplicably fall apart there and bad teams look even worse. Things happen there that defy logic and reason, so even though the Vikings and Bears were decidedly trending in opposite directions entering Monday night, I still dreaded this game, knowing that some weird Soldier Field shit (aka SFS) was going to happen again and destroy our recent revived playoff hopes.

And some SFS most definitely happened again, but this time we were finally able to overcome it and get a crucial win that sets this team up now to truly make a real run at this.

In perhaps the most surprising development of the night, the Vikings honestly looked like the markedly better team the whole game. Right from the start we moved the ball, only to have our opening drive end due to a Kyle Rudolph fumble that was not a damn fumble (SFS). 

But Harrison Smith quickly picked off Nick Foles and we were back at it. A nice 2nd drive ended with a dandy grab in the endzone by Adam Thielen and we grabbed a lead we held the whole half.

Chicago put together one decent drive, fueled largely by Cordarrelle Patterson, but we held them to a field goal.

The only other Bears score in the first half came due to some SFS, as a perfect Kirk pass was bobbled by Thielen into an interception.  One pass got them in field goal range but the Vikings defense held. So we held a slim 7-6 halftime lead...

...that was immediately destroyed to open the 3rd quarter as Patterson housed the kickoff. The easiest of his 8 career kick return touchdowns. He was never touched. Major SFS.

When the next Vikings drive ended quickly it looked pretty certain that we were headed for another loss in the house of horrors.

But the Bears muffed a punt, we got the ball, and scored. Granted it was just a field goal but it got us some momentum back.

And the defense kept it. They totally shut Chicago down throughout the 2nd half. They gave the offense the shot to tie the game up on a drive highlighted by a splendid zip pass from Kirk to Jefferson, which covered 50 yards.

And then the offense drove down the field surgically, and took the lead on the night's second Kirk to Adam connection. But some SFS happened.and the PAT snap was bobbled, an improvised Colquitt throw fell incomplete, and we only led by 6. So of course that was going to be why we lost.

But the defense was not going to let that happen. Not on this night. The Bears went 3 and out. And after allowing a fairly long punt return on the next drive, the defense held again on downs as a Foles pass towards the endzone was just a little long. Hey, we have had a grotesque lack of luck in Chicago for 20 years. We had that one coming.

The Bears had one last longshot possession, but after Foles got just creamed on the first play, Chicago was reduced to bringing in 3rd stringer Tyler Bray. We took care of matters quickly after that.

The scoreboard may not have looked like it, but this was a really solid game by the offense.

Dalvin actually wound up just shy of 100 yards, as he was able to break a few after Akeem Hicks left with an injury, but he was largely contained. But he was still able to get a lot of 2 and 3 yard gains, just enough to make matters a little easier.

But what was going to happen when Cook got shut down to an extent against a tough defense? Could Kirk step up? Hells yeah! Kirk played one of his best games as a Viking last night. He was incredibly sharp. He escaped pressure well. They ran some great play action. He even had a terrific scramble that got wiped out by a holding penalty. And while the.MNF record is a phony narrative, it was still great to see Kirk get this one. He was fired up about it.

Jefferson had a big game. Thielen had the 1 mistake but had the 2 touchdowns and a couple other key grabs. Kyle Rudolph had a couple.of major plays late.

I think we can now say with a lot more certainty that we do indeed have something with this offensive line. Whatever the Bears flaws, theirs is still a defense that has at times humiliated us the last couple years, and have done so by destroying us up front. But not this time. They held up. Kirk was only sacked once. Cook didn't have huge holes but was able to consistently keep things moving. This unit is.good. They work. I don't know if it is just Cleveland taking over at RG, or if it's coaching (probably a mix), but since the bye they have just been really good. I would run this 5 back next year for sure.

And you can say whatever you want about what this Bears offense is, but we have seen where this Vikings defense started from this year. They could not have held a peewee team to 149 total yards in September. Zimmer continues to spin magic out of this patchwork defense. He hasn't had a game where every blitz worked like this in ages. He is just pushing all the right buttons right now.

And for all the horrors we have experienced in Chicago, Zimmer does now have 3 wins there in 7 tries.

This became a must win game after the Sunday results. We now stay 2 back of the 7 seed. And now we get the 3 game homestand against the Cowboys, Panthers and Jaguars. Look, any given Sunday and all that, but we should win these games. The Vikings should be 7-5 when they head to Tampa Bay. If we get any sort of luck we should at least be tied for a playoff spot by then. And then we take our chances.

Hey, it's maybe still a longshot, but we just won at Green Bay and Chicsgo in 3 weeks. Maybe it can be a season of miracles.