Chicago Bears: Studs and duds vs. Vikings in Week 4

The Chicago Bears were without a number of key players in their Week 4 division matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Even so, they found a way to win in dominant fashion.

Well, that was an interesting game. Just when you think you know how good the Chicago Bears defense is, they find a way to show that you really don’t know. The defense was without a number of key players in their big matchup against division rival Minnesota Vikings.

Starters Akiem Hicks (knee) and Bilal Nichols (hand) were both out due to injuries. Another starter, Roquan Smith, missed the game for personal reasons. Going up against the top running attack in the league would be tough, but without those players, it would be much tougher.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook ran for 110 yards or more in each of the first three games of the season. He also scored a touchdown in each game. Add in the receiving yards and he averaged 151.3 yards from scrimmage per game. Holding him down was a big challenge. It was a challenge that the Bears defense took on, even without their key players.

The defense held Cook to just 70 yards of total yards from scrimmage. He only had 35 yards rushing and 35 yards receiving. He did get his touchdown, though, the first rushing touchdown allowed by the Bears this season.

In addition to the players missing on defense, the Bears had Taylor Gabriel (concussion protocol) and Kyle Long (hip) miss with injuries and had running back Mike Davis out for personal reasons.

Then, on the game’s first drive, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky went down with a shoulder injury and missed the rest of the game. Things looked bleak for a couple of minutes. Only a couple of minutes, though.

Chase Daniel came in and the Bears didn’t miss a beat offensively. The backups on defense played almost as well as the starters and the team won in convincing fashion, 16-6.

It was an incredible victory for the Bears. They were the big winners in the NFC North with every other team losing this week. The Bears are now tied for the top spot in the division. Technically the Green Bay Packers would win the division if the season ended today but it doesn’t.

The game last week against Washington got the team’s confidence back. The win this week could shoot that confidence to an all-time high. We, of course, need to find out the status of Trubisky, however.

Here are the good and the bad from the Chicago Bears’ victory against the Minnesota Vikings.