The Minnesota Vikings moved level with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North with a 30-12 victory over the Chicago Bears at the end of Week 15 of the NFL. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons ended their series of bankruptcies.
Chicago Bears (4-10) @ Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
Result: 12:30 (0:10, 0:3, 3:7, 9:10) BOX SCORE
After the Vikings were already safely in the playoffs thanks to the Seahawks’ bankruptcy on Sunday, they now drew level with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North with a win on Monday evening against the Bears.
The Vikings built a 13-0 lead at halftime with a Justin Jefferson touchdown and two field goals. All three scores came as a result of Bears turnovers – twice after failed fourth-down attempts, once after a fumble by quarterback Caleb Williams, who lost the ball with a strip sack by Jonathan Greenard.
After halftime, touchdowns from Aaron Jones and Cam Akers put the game out of reach. The guests’ only touchdown came after a blocked Vikings punt in the fourth quarter when Williams found wide receiver Keenan Allen for a 16-yard pass.
With this game, the Bears achieved the dubious feat of going without points in the first half for the third time in a row. This last happened to the Jaguars in the 2018 season.
Atlanta Falcons (7-7) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
Result: 15:9 (7:0, 2:3, 3:0, 3:6) BOX SCORE
The Atlanta Falcons ended their four-game losing streak with a tough win at the Raiders. At the same time, quarterback Kirk Cousins ended his drought of four games in a row without a touchdown pass. His 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter was his first in the NFL since November 3. However, he remained pale again (11/17, 112 YDS, TD, INT).
The Falcons had to tremble until the end, because with ten seconds left to play, the Raiders still had two chances to equalize from the opposing 35-yard line. Former Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridders (23/39, 208, TD, 2 INT) first attempt was incomplete, the second ended the game with an interception by safety Jessie Bates.
The Falcons’ most notable offensive player was running back Desmond Ridder with 125 yards on the ground. Defensively, the defensive front shone with four sacks. DeAngelo Malone contributed all two of them.
For the Falcons, this success means that they can keep up with the Buccaneers (8-6) in the NFC South and stay within striking distance, especially since they won the season series and would therefore have the tie-breaker on their side. The Raiders, on the other hand, suffered their tenth defeat in a row, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.