The Vikings have gone from unbeaten to getting dominated by the Bears in 2 weeks

The Minnesota Vikings just didn’t have it on Monday night, as they put on a poor showing in a 20-10 loss to the Chicago Bears.

The Minnesota defensive line didn’t do as much as expected against a Bears offensive line that started a rookie at center and was missing both their starting guards tonight. In a game where they should have dominated, they came up flat.

Rookie running back Jordan Howard had a good night for the Bears, gaining over 100 yards through three quarters. The Vikings had not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season.

Jay Cutler made just his third start of the season, and his first since Week 2. The first half wasn’t big offensively for either side, but Cutler was able to help get the Bears in field goal range for a pair of field goals, and a Howard touchdown rush midway through the second quarter.

The only offensive production the Vikings would see in the first half was a 30-yard Blair Walsh field goal with just 30 seconds left to go in the first half. Bradford was overthrowing receivers at times, but the Vikings offensive line didn’t do him many favors, as he was sacked a total of five times on the night.

In the third quarter, the Bears were able to take advantage of a Xavier Rhodes injury. Rhodes missed the rest of the drive, but would return later. It didn’t matter, though, because the damage was done in his absence.

The Bears attacked his replacement, Trae Waynes, for Alshon Jeffery’s first touchdown of the season.

In the fourth quarter, things didn’t get better for the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings didn’t show much urgency, and were taking their time in the huddle down 17. If things weren’t bad enough, offensive guard Alex Boone left the game in the middle of the fourth quarter with an injury.

The Vikings finally found the end zone as Bradford hit Stefon Diggs with a 25-yard touchdown pass with just under six minutes to go, but it was too little too late.

Howard helped the Bears grind out the game, and finished with 153 rushing yards, and 202 scrimmage yards. His 153 rushing yards was almost 100 yards better than the next best rusher against the Vikings all season, with Ryan Mathews having 56. He also became the first player in Bears franchise history to have over 200 or more yards from scrimmage in a game before the age of 22.

For a team that had been called “soft” by their coach just a week ago, the response was nonexistent by the Vikings. In all aspects of the game.

After looking like one of the most dominant teams in the league, they’ve now dropped consecutive games to to the Eagles, and now the Chicago Bears, who were 1-6 coming into the game, having lost three in a row.