The Vikings got a pair of return touchdowns. They ended four Chicago drives with takeaways. What’s more, Minnesota reached 30 points.
In the end, though, Minnesota couldn’t get the last stop it needed to best Chicago.
The Bears (2-0) knocked off the division-rival Vikings 31-30 Sunday at Soldier Field on a 15-yard Jay Cutler-to-Martellus Bennett touchdown pass with 10 seconds left. Bennett, the Bears’ new starting tight end for 2013, caught a pair of scores from Cutler, who threw for 290 yards and three TDs.
Cutler was picked twice, and he fumbled when sacked for the first and only time on Sunday. Brian Robison picked up the fumble and sprinted for a second-quarter touchdown. That was the second return TD of the first half for Minnesota (0-2), which also got a 105-yard kickoff return from Cordarrelle Patterson on the game’s opening play.
However, the Bears got a long return from Devin Hester on the next kickoff, setting up the first Cutler-to-Bennett TD. Ultimately, that was the story for the Vikings. They did many good things, but they could not close the deal. The offense mustered just one touchdown, and its last three scores were red-zone trips that ended in field goals of 28 yards or less. Quarterback Christian Ponder threw for 227 yards, but he completed just 16-of-30 passes, and he had an interception returned for a score by the Bears’ Tim Jennings.
The Vikings’ defense, meanwhile, surrendered 411 yards, and the Bears converted 7-of-12 third downs.
Minnesota has scored a combined 54 points in two games, but it has no wins to show for its efforts. A key home game vs. the winless Browns is up next for the Vikings.