Vikings stay in playoff contention with 17-9 win vs. Bears

The Minnesota Vikings offense managed only 13 first downs and couldn't top 200 total yards against the Chicago Bears, but two touchdowns was all it took to cruise to a 17-9 win.

Minnesota improved to 7-7 with the win, keeping the team right in the thick of the race for a wild card berth in the NFC, even though the Green Bay Packers already clinched the NFC North. The Vikings are now tied with the New Orleans Saints for the final spot, although both teams will soon be joined by either Washington or the Philadelphia Eagles, barring a tie in Tuesday's matchup between those teams.

The Bears moved the ball well against the Vikings defense, finishing with 370 yards of total offense. However, three turnovers, three unsuccessful fourth down tries, and a blocked field goal left the Bears without points to show for their lengthy drives. The only touchdown of the game for Chicago came as time expired to cut the lead from 14 to eight (no extra point was tried).

The Vikings struggled to score on offense despite matching up against a Bears secondary that was missing several players due to COVID. Five total defensive backs -- including safeties Tashaun Gipson and Eddie Jackson -- were out of action Monday night.

The loss officially eliminated the Bears from postseason contention, which could also bring the end of Matt Nagy's time as coach of the team.