15 October 2023
CHICAGO — It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Vikings lacked offensive explosiveness in their first game without star receiver Justin Jefferson. There were prolonged stretches on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field during which the offense was borderline unwatchable. It was a slog for most of the game as quarterback Kirk Cousins couldn’t find a rhythm without his No. 1 target.
None of it mattered. Not with the Chicago Bears on the other side.
On a beautiful day in the Windy City, the Vikings played the ugliest game imaginable, walking away with a 19-13 victory over the Bears in the process. That helped the Vikings improve their record to 2-4 this season as they attempt to dig themselves out of an early-season hole.
Though it wasn’t a banner day for the offense, the defense stepped up to save the Vikings. That group forced a trio of turnovers, including a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker Jordan Hicks that broke the game open.
It helped that the Vikings knocked Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields out of the game and played a good chunk of the game against undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent.
It was a struggle for both teams early on, with the Vikings getting a pair of field goals from kicker Greg Joseph, and the Bears getting a pair of field goals from Cairo Santos.
There was a particular sequence in the first half when Cousins fumbled after being hit while he threw, only to have Fields follow up by throwing an interception after being hit while he threw a couple of minutes later. The plays looked like mirror images of each other and perfectly encapsulated the sloppiness of the game to that point.
On the following drive, the Vikings finally broke through, with Cousins marching them down field, then finding rookie receiver Jordan Addison with a strike in the back of the end zone. That touchdown capped an ugly first half and the Vikings had the extra point blocked to ensure they led by a fittingly ugly score of 12-6 at halftime.
The game changed shorty after halftime when Fields left with a hand injury, forcing Bagent into action for the first time in his NFL career. On his third play under center, Bagent fumbled after being hit by safety Josh Metellus, and Hicks scooped and scored to stretch the Vikings’ lead to 19-6.
After a touchdown drive by the Bears cut the deficit to 19-13, cornerback Byron Murphy made a big play for the Vikings, intercepting Bagent to end any thoughts of a comeback.
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