Wek 7 Review: How Did We Lose? Let Me Count The Ways...

In my previous blog, I predicted that the Chicago Bears would defeat the Minnesota Vikings in large part because of the Vikes' terrible pass defense.  Thus, while I did not expect a 48-41 final score, that is pretty much EXACTLY what transpired at Soldier Field:

The game actually started out on a very positive note for the Vikings, as Adrian Peterson capped off their first drive of the game with a touchdown lunge at the goal line.  Of course, the Bears (helped by the inability of the Vikings' kickoff team to execute a successful squib kick to keep the ball away from Devin Hester, thus gaining them tremendous field position) also scored on their first possession to knot the score at 7-7.

At this point was when things started getting weird: After going 3-and-out, Chris Kluwe went back to punt the ball away.  The ball was snapped to him, and he promptly let it slip right out of his hands.  Trying to salvage the play, Kluwe (quite comically, I might add) still tried to get the punt off, but a Bears defender was so close to him that the ball bounced right off the orange defender's chest and Kluwe's leg even hit the guy in the head on the backswing!  The coupe de grace of the play then occurred: as the ball rolled around on the ground, Kluwe decided to kick it forward (an illegal action anyway) instead of just letting a guy fall on it.  The kick, of course, bounces right up into a Bears defender's hands who just happened to have the perfect angle to go into the end zone to give Chicago a 14-7 lead.  Basically, just when you think the Vikes couldn't get any dumber, a play like this transpires.  Let's just say that Kluwe may be updating his resume over the bye week instead of working out at the Dome.

Surprisingly, though, the Vikings came right back after that clownish miscue to score a TD on a Gus Frerotte 24-yard strike to Visanthe Shiancoe, tying things up at 14-14.

As the second quarter began, each team traded field goals (17-17), and then the next boneheaded Vikings play occurred.  With Charles Gordon back to receive Chicago's punt with about five minutes left in the first half, the punt bounced backwards off the five yard line and hit Gordon (who was making a block instead of getting out of the way) in the arm, making it a live ball.  The Bears fell on it in the end zone...24-17.  Most defenders just clear the area in those situations, but Gordon inexplicably stuck around and was befallen by a bit of bad luck.

Again, however, the Vikings didn't just roll over and die (like I will admit I fully expected them to do).  After blocking a Robbie Gould field goal, the Vikings tied the game (24-24) with 22 seconds left on the clock on a pile-jumping hurdle from Chester Taylor into the end zone.

Yet, in typical Vikings fashion, the Purple could not go into halftime on a high note.  With just 22 seconds on the clock, Kyle Orton led the Bears down the field (two passes to wide-open receivers) and set up Gould for a 57-yard field goal, which would have been the longest attempt of his career.  Of course, the Vikings promptly jumped off sides and moved the ball five yards closer, after which Gould punched it through to give the Bears a 27-24 halftime lead.  Another Purple folly that would come back to haunt them later.

Both teams traded touchdowns (a pass from Orton and a long run from Peterson) in the early goings of the second half to keep the Bears on top, 34-31, but the game was blown open in Chicago's favor at the end of the third quarter: Facing a 4th-and-1 at the Chicago 36, Minnesota elected to go for it.  Frerotte rolled out to the right and looked for Peterson (who was covered by probably could have converted and moved the chains), decided not to throw, and tried to weave the ball into Bernard Berrian, just too tight of a fit (resulting in an incompletion).  On the play, Frerotte also looked to have space to run for the necessary one yard, but his complete lack of mobility prevented him from doing so.

Four plays later, Orton hit Marty Booker on a crossing route, who took the ball 51 yards to paydirt and put the Bears up 41-31.  Again, I was frustrated, but thought perhaps this time the Vikings truly had a chance to come back, as the Bears were literally down to their third-string secondary due to injuries.  Instead, Frerotte threw his third pick of the game on the very next drive, and the defender returned it 50 yards into Viking territory.  A few plays later Matt Forte rumbled into the end zone and the Bears had a comfortable 48-31 lead.

Although the Vikes did make a late charge to try and tie the score (thanks to a Ryan Longwell field goal and a TD pass from Frerotte to Berrian), the game ended when Frerotte (after being sacked on the previous play) threw his fourth pick of the contest with roughly a minute left to play, giving the Bears that final 48-41 victory.

Thus, in typical Vikings fashion, a game that by all accounts should have been won was lost due to old haunts and new mental miscues.  Every unit had a hand in the loss...special teams were atrocious, the defense could not cover Chicago's unspectacular receivers, and the offense (while putting points on the bound) was doomed by Frerotte's lack of mobility and bad decisions leading to interceptions.

More analysis to come...