The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears handily on Monday night, 30-12, despite sloppy play through most of the game, whether on offense, defense, or special teams. The Bears were a team mailing it in after being eliminated from the playoffs and once again experiencing front office turmoil.
On the face of it, it’s always good to come away with an 18-point victory over a division rival. But looking at the game from the perspective of playing well enough to beat a playoff team, the Vikings’ performance fell short. While the Vikings’ defense played well against an inept Bears offense hampered by a third-string left tackle, the offense and special teams had the kind of game that gets you beat in the playoffs.