GAME THREAD: NFL: CHICAGO (5-8) at MINNESOTA (7-6)

NFL: CHICAGO (5-8) at MINNESOTA (7-6)

<h3>Vikings seeking fifth straight win</h3>



<div class="pre">Chicago (5-8) at Minnesota (7-6) Monday 8:30 pm EST</div>

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- As the Minnesota Vikings surge toward aplayoff berth, the Chicago Bears are on the verge of missing thepostseason.


The Vikings seek their fifth consecutive victory when they hostthe Bears on Monday night in an NFC North clash.


Following the improbable four-game winning streak, Minnesotacontrols its own destiny, holding a one-game lead over the NewOrleans Saints, Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions in thewild card chase.


A 34-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers on November 11 dropped theVikings to 3-6, a defeat that was magnified when rookie runningback Adrian Peterson - the league's leading rusher at the time -suffered a knee injury.


Chester Taylor stepped in for Peterson the following week andran for three touchdowns in a 29-22 victory over the OaklandRaiders.


The season really turned one week later in a stunning 41-17 roadwin over the New York Giants. Taylor ran for another score andthe Vikings' defense returned three interceptions fortouchdowns in the rout.


Minnesota then posted back-to-back lopsided victories overDetroit and San Francisco, and have outscored its last threeopponents, 110-34 - the first time in franchise history theVikings have won three straight games by at least 20 points.

Second-year quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who was close tolosing his job earlier in the season, completed 16-of-25 passesfor 163 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the 49ers.

That helped offset a season-worst effort by Peterson, whomanaged just three yards rushing on 14 carries.


"Each game, each play you learn something," Jackson said."That's the mind-set I'm taking. Everything in the NFL is aprocess and I'm just trying to learn and continue to take smallsteps right now."


Much like their division rival, the Bears' season changed in amatchup with the Giants. Chicago carried a 16-7 lead into thefourth quarter at home and was poised to climb to the .500 mark,but New York scored twice in the final 6:54 to steal a win.

A 24-16 loss to the Washington Redskins four days later all butKO'd the Bears' playoff chances and knocked out quarterback RexGrossman for the season with a left knee injury.


Kyle Orton, who has not played in a regular-season game since2005, will start in Grossman's place for Chicago, which must doa better job of containing Peterson.


When the teams met on October 14, Peterson ran over the Bears byfor 224 yards, including touchdown runs of 67, 73 and 35 yards.

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 14:55 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CHI BALL ON CHI 41 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 13:12 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 7 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 12:10 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CHI BALL ON MIN 14 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL FG CHI
ROBBIE GOULD 29 YD

CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 10:41 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 10:35 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 12 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 5:50 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CHI BALL ON CHI 23 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 4:22 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 36 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 2:13 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CHI BALL ON CHI 3 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 0:37 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 38 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 3 3
MINNESOTA 0 0 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: CHI - FG, ROBBIE GOULD 29 YD, 4:19. Drive: 4
plays, 2 yards in 1:29. Key plays:
Urlacher 12-yard interception
return to Minnesota 14. CHICAGO 3-0</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 13:39 LEFT, 2ND QTR

CHI BALL ON CHI 13 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 0 12:27 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 38 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL FG MIN
RYAN LONGWELL 42 YD

CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 3 10:07 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 3
MINNESOTA 3 10:01 LEFT, 2ND QTR

CHI BALL ON MIN 44 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL FG CHI
ROBBIE GOULD 47 YD

CHICAGO 6
MINNESOTA 3 6:57 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 6
MINNESOTA 3 6:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 16 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 6
MINNESOTA 3 2:42 LEFT, 2ND QTR

CHI BALL ON CHI 9 YD LINE
0TH AND 0</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL TWO MINUTE WARNING, 1ST HALF

CHICAGO 6
MINNESOTA 3

CHI BALL ON CHI 14 YD LINE
3RD AND 5</div>

 

NFL: CHICAGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
CHICAGO 6
MINNESOTA 3 0:58 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>