MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings have a spot in the playoff picture, and their primetime performance exuded the elements that often drive postseason success.
Aaron Jones and Cam Akers scored second-half touchdowns to complement a stout defense and the Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 30-12 on Monday night for their seventh straight game win, tied for first in the NFC North.
The Vikings (12-2), who clinched a playoff spot after Seattle lost to Green Bay, got their big break earlier Sunday when Detroit’s 11-game winning streak was snapped by Buffalo.
“It’s going to be an unbelievable rivalry,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We have to play well and continue to improve and chase our best football.”
Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 73 yards, including a first-quarter touchdown by Sam Darnold, a sack by Jonathan Greenard and a sack by Kelley A touchdown on a Caleb Williams fumble.
“It’s great to see us stack up plays, stack up good plays,” Jefferson said. “Our potential is very high. Every game we want our offense to be the best on the field.”
The Bears put a lot of pressure on Darnold, who went 24-of-40 for 231 yards, and he was caught on fourth-and-goal after Jefferson threw what was supposed to be a 30-yard touchdown pass. Made his first interception in five games on three passes.
The Vikings led by double digits over the final 50-plus minutes of the game, finishing with 18 carries and 86 yards from Jones.
“It’s crazy to me to see the effort he puts in after first contact, fighting for those extra yards and getting that first down,” Jefferson said. “It’s great to have a back like this.”
For the first time in Vikings history, they donned white helmets and snow-like jerseys and pants at their now-annual winter-themed home game — played from the comfort of indoors — before former wide receiver G. After Reese Carter and Jake, the Vikings had an energetic crowd behind them and Reid came to midfield with a Randy Moss jersey for a coin toss in honor of their former teammate who was undergoing cancer treatment. “We love you, Randy!” Jefferson yelled after his touchdown catch.
The defense revived the mood, allowing the Bears to convert just 1 of 12 third downs and just 1 on 3 fourth downs. Williams was so exhausted from having to run around trying to avoid being sacked that at one point in the fourth quarter, he hunkered down on the bench.
“Our defense was outstanding,” O’Connell said.
Williams held the NFL rookie record with 286 consecutive passes without an interception for the eighth straight game, but the Bears (4-10) lost all of those records.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft went 18-for-31 for 191 yards at Minnesota’s 27 and threw the ball to Keenan Allen after a blocked punt gave Chicago the ball. Allen.
D’Andre Swift rushed 19 times for 79 yards for the Bears, who have outscored 53-0 in the first half over their past three games. They are the first team since Jacksonville in 2018 to go scoreless in three consecutive halves, according to Sportradar.
“Just trying to find ways to put us in better positions, design better plays, call better plays,” interim coach Thomas Brown said.
The Bears once again made some improbable plays that ultimately doomed them. Swift scored nothing on a fourth-and-1 pitch sweep at the Chicago 39 on the opening possession and scored again in the second quarter on a fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 29.
In the third quarter, a short touchdown run by Swift was wiped out by a penalty when backup center Doug Kramer ignored a report as an eligible receiver when he came in as an extra blocker on a goal-line play. Afterwards, rookie Kiran Amegadjie, who took three penalties in his first NFL start and was beaten hard by Greenard on a strip sack, was asked to wait. The Bears settled for a short field goal.
“It’s hard to score in this league. It’s hard to win games. You have to score to win,” Williams said. “Taking those views off the board clearly hurts us.”
Bears: Amegaje replaced Braxton Jones, who was out with a concussion, as well as backup running back Roseon Johnson and backup linebacker Ryan Bates.
Vikings: RT Brian O’Neal injured his right knee in the first quarter but returned for most of the second half after missing several series. … CB Stephon Gilmore missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury.
The Bears host the Lions on Sunday and the Vikings travel to the Seahawks.
