{"id":383978,"date":"2021-12-21T08:07:45","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T05:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/vikings-defense-powers-mnf-win-over-bears\/"},"modified":"2021-12-21T08:07:45","modified_gmt":"2021-12-21T05:07:45","slug":"vikings-defense-powers-mnf-win-over-bears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/vikings-defense-powers-mnf-win-over-bears\/","title":{"rendered":"#Vikings&#8217; defense powers &#8216;MNF&#8217; win over Bears"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#Vikings&#8217; defense powers &#8216;MNF&#8217; win over Bears<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>CHICAGO \u2014 The Minnesota Vikings have little margin for error and plenty of room to improve as they try to secure a playoff spot.<\/p>\n<p>Not that Kirk Cousins needed a reminder. Or, for that matter, coach Mike Zimmer.<\/p>\n<p>Cousins threw two touchdown passes, and Minnesota beat the struggling and short-handed Chicago Bears 17-9 on Monday night.<\/p>\n<p>The Vikings (7-7), part of a tight pack of teams vying for one of the NFC\u2019s seven playoff spots, were in line for their most lopsided win before Justin Fields threw a touchdown pass to Jesper Horsted on the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>\u2019s final play.<\/p>\n<p>That score aside, Minnesota withstood several scoring threats by Chicago down the stretch coming off a win over Pittsburgh in which the Vikings nearly blew a 29-0 lead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we have work,\u201d Cousins said. \u201cI think there is a lot to improve upon. We\u2019re playing three really good opponents up ahead. We\u2019re probably going to need everyone, so there is not a lot of room for error and we have to tighten the screws here and play our best football down the stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Kirk Cousins finished with just 87 passing yards.\" class=\"wp-image-20564080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Kirk Cousins finished with just 87 passing yards.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">USA TODAY Sports<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Vikings\u2019 final three games are at home against the Los Angeles Rams and at NFC North champion Green Bay before they host Chicago in the finale. The result in this one was hardly a surprise given the state of the Bears (4-10).<\/p>\n<p>Chicago lost for the eighth time in nine games, and with 14 players on the reserve\/COVID-19 list, that seemed inevitable. Receiver Allen Robinson was on it, as was the starting secondary.<\/p>\n<p>The health issues also hit the coaching staff, with all three coordinators testing positive for the coronavirus during the week. Defensive coordinator Sean Desai was cleared to return hours before kickoff. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was not cleared, so Nagy called plays. And special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was out.<\/p>\n<p>Cousins, who struggled last week, didn\u2019t exactly dominate in this one. He was 12 of 24 for 87 yards with an interception and got sacked four times. The two-time Pro Bowler also connected with Justin Jefferson for a\u00a012-yard touchdown\u00a0in the first quarter and threw a\u00a07-yarder\u00a0to Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the third.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/1360116459.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Ihmir Smith-Marsette (15) celebrates his third quarter touchdown during the Vikings' 17-9 win over the Bears.\" class=\"wp-image-20563941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/1360116459.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/1360116459.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/1360116459.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/1360116459.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ihmir Smith-Marsette (15) celebrates his third quarter touchdown during the Vikings\u2019 17-9 win over the Bears.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dalvin Cook ran for 89 yards, after going for 205 against Pittsburgh in a sooner-than-expected return from a dislocated shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>D.J. Wonnum had a career-high three sacks and the Vikings recovered three fumbles on the way to their second straight win after back-to-back losses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just playing better, it\u2019s getting better,\u201d Zimmer said. \u201cIt\u2019s getting better in the run defense, getting better in the pass coverage, it\u2019s getting better in protection. It\u2019s getting better in running the ball. It\u2019s all those things. We\u2019re trying to get better so we can get to that spot where we\u2019ve got to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the Bears and their fans, it was another frustrating outing.<\/p>\n<p>Fields threw for 285 yards and ran for 35 in his second game back after missing two with broken ribs. The rookie completed 26 of 39 passes playing behind a line missing both starting tackles, with right tackle Larry Borom on the COVID list and left tackle Jason Peters out with an ankle injury.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Quinn and Akiem Hicks each had two sacks. Quinn has 16 this year, leaving him just shy of Hall of Famer Richard Dent\u2019s franchise record of 17 1\/2 in 1984.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"'Fire Nagy' chants echoed throughout Soldier Field during the Bears' 17-9 loss to the Vikings.\" class=\"wp-image-20564236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/FOOTBALL-NFL-CHI-MIN_-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>\u2018Fire Nagy\u2019 chants echoed throughout Soldier Field during the Bears\u2019 17-9 loss to the Vikings.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">USA TODAY Sports<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/Vikings-Bears-Football.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Matt Nagy argues a call during the Bears' 17-9 loss to the Vikings. \" class=\"wp-image-20564077\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/Vikings-Bears-Football.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/Vikings-Bears-Football.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/Vikings-Bears-Football.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/Vikings-Bears-Football.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Matt Nagy argues a call during the Bears\u2019 17-9 loss to the Vikings. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But Chicago committed nine penalties for 91 yards in a sloppy performance that had fans again booing at times and making their feelings about coach Matt Nagy known, chanting \u201cFire Nagy!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s been the story, that\u2019s been the story of the year,\u201d Fields said. \u201cIt\u2019s just us shooting ourselves in the foot. Once we eliminate those penalties, sacks on my part where I should just throw the ball away, throw the ball down to the ground \u2014 once we eliminate those, we start seeing more points come up on the board and have more success. I thought our whole defense played great tonight and put us in a position to win.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/12\/21\/vikings-defense-powers-mnf-win-over-bears\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Vikings&#8217; defense powers &#8216;MNF&#8217; win over Bears&#8221; CHICAGO \u2014 The Minnesota Vikings have little margin for error and plenty of room to improve as they try to secure a playoff spot. Not that Kirk Cousins needed a reminder. Or, for that matter, coach Mike Zimmer. Cousins threw two touchdown passes, and Minnesota beat the struggling&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":383979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/1360116459.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[122286,71568,71897,122289,71898,869],"class_list":["post-383978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-21-21","tag-chicago-bears","tag-kirk-cousins","tag-matt-nagy","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-nfl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/383979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}