MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jordan Howard took the handoff early in the first quarter in Chicago from Jay Cutler and ran toward the left tackle, escaping from heavy traffic around the line, zooming into the secondary before he was finally shoved out of bounds by Minnesota’s Xavier Rhodes.
The play gained 69 yards, setting up a field goal by the Bears and setting the tone for a trying Monday night game for the Vikings. The burst by the rookie served as an introduction for the fifth-round draft pick out of Indiana to a national audience, one of a limited number of highlights for the Bears (3-12) in another unsuccessful season.