Cousins, Vikings snap to life with late TD, beat Bears 29-22

Vikings beat Bears 29-22 thanks to late takeaway

MINNEAPOLIS - Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings established a remarkable rhythm early. Their resiliency surfaced again late.

The reward is being alone in first place in the NFC North.

Cousins scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 2:26 remaining on Minnesota's fifth third-down conversion of its go-ahead drive, and the Vikings snapped out of another mid-game slump just in time to beat the Chicago Bears 29-22 on Sunday.

"I'm not where I was at the end of last season in that old system," Cousins said, "but we're developing it and we're getting there and I'm excited about that continued growth."

Cameron Dantzler sealed the victory for the Vikings (4-1) by ripping the ball away from former teammate Ihmir Smith-Marsette near the one-minute mark after a pass from Justin Fields to the Minnesota 39.

"It's a start. That's all it is, though," said Cousins, who went 32 for 41 for 296 yards.

The Vikings have trailed with less than 5 minutes remaining in three straight games and won each time. They took the lead against Detroit for good with 45 seconds to go in Week 3 and pulled ahead at New Orleans in Week 4 with 24 seconds left.

"Don't necessarily think we found that four quarters of consistent ball that we're looking for, but as we've learned it's not easy to do in the NFL," said first-year coach Kevin O'Connell, whose team has beaten all three division foes at home.

Fields went 15 for 21 for a season-high 208 yards and his first touchdown pass in 15 quarters and rushed eight times for 47 yards, but the Bears (2-3) were ultimately overtaken by the Vikings and their skill position stars.

Justin Jefferson finished with a career-high 12 catches for 154 yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass from Cousins to push the lead to seven. Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and two scores against a defense that has been vulnerable on the ground in coach Matt Eberflus' first season.

Vikings Coach O'Connell, RB Mattison talk Bears victory

Cousins set a franchise record with 17 consecutive completions to start the game, and O'Connell put on a play-calling clinic as the Vikings reached the end zone on their first three possessions for a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Three times last week against the Saints, they had to settle for field goals after crossing the 20.

David Montgomery returned from a one-game absence to an ankle injury and scored Chicago's first touchdown on a 9-yard run late in the second quarter. Rookie Velus Jones Jr. scored on his first career offensive touch, a 9-yard reception off a jet-motion shovel pass to cap the first possession of the third quarter and make it a one-score game.

"I think we took a step forward, for sure," Fields said. "A lot of teams in this league would have just laid down and stopped playing."

Early in the fourth quarter, Kindle Vildor picked off Cousins as he rolled right on first down and tried to connect with Adam Thielen at the 30. The return gave the Bears the ball near midfield. Two plays later, Fields got loose for what would've been a 52-yard touchdown run, but Smith-Marsette was called for an illegal block above the waist to wipe that out.

Cairo Santos instead made his third field goal of the game to give the Bears for a 22-21 lead with 9:31 to go. The Vikings responded with a 17-play, 80-yard march that drained an even 7 minutes off the clock. That drive included a 5-yard run with less than three minutes left by the pocket-preferring Cousins on third-and-5 from the Chicago 20.

"I respect the man's game. He's a vet. You give him something, he's going to take it," Bears safety Eddie Jackson said.

RECORD SETTER

Jefferson passed Hall of Famer Randy Moss during the first drive to set a Vikings record for most receptions (236) in a player's first three seasons. Jefferson got there in 36 games. Moss had 226 catches in 48 games.

"We let them get off to a hot start," Jackson said. "We knew that was the guy they were going to."

PREGAME POMP

With division rival Green Bay playing early in London, much of the broadcast was shown on the videoboards as fans filed in. When the Giants took the lead for good in the 29-22 victory over the Packers, the Vikings' game operations crew sounded the celebratory Gjallarhorn. The crowd roared as Green Bay fell to 3-2 and Minnesota climbed ahead in the division standings.

STILL SPECIAL?

The Vikings under new special teams coordinator Matt Daniels had been stellar in nearly every facet of the kicking game over the first four games, but there were some hiccups Sunday.

Greg Joseph, who was the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after going 5 for 5 on field goals to beat the Saints, had a 53-yard try go wide right at the halftime gun and a 51-yard attempt blocked by Dominique Robinson on Minnesota's only possession of the third quarter.

INJURY REPORT

Chicago: CB Jaylon Johnson (quadriceps) sat out for the second straight game. ... LB Matthew Adams (calf) was hurt in the third quarter.

Minnesota: Rookie RB Ty Chandler broke his thumb on special teams and will have surgery, O'Connell said.. ... Rookie CB Akayleb Evans was put in the concussion protocol the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Chicago: Hosts Washington on Thursday night.

Minnesota: Visits Miami next Sunday.

 

Cam Dantzler rips ball away to give Vikings 29-22 win

The Bears were moving down the field after the two minute warning, but cornerback Cam Dantzler ripped the ball away from former teammate Ihmir Smith-Marsette to seal the Vikings' 29-22 win.

The Vikings are now 4-1 and in sole possession of first place in the NFC North.

By WCCO Staff
 

Vikings take 29-22 lead on Kirk Cousins sneak

The Vikings have taken back the lead late in the fourth quarter on a Kirk Cousins sneak.

Justin Jefferson successfully converted the 2-point try to make it 29-22.

The Bears will get the ball back with 2:29 left.

By WCCO Staff
 

Justin Jefferson gets career-high 12th catch

Justin Jefferson is up to 12 catches on the day,  a career-high for him.

He had 10 of those catches in the first half. He has 154 yards on the day.

Jefferson also threw one pass for 23 yards.

By WCCO Staff
 

Bears take 22-21 lead on 51-yard field goal

The Bears have clawed back from an 18-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

They're up 22-21 on the Vikings after a 51-yard field goal.

The Vikings get the ball back with about 10 minutes left.

By WCCO Staff
 

Bears pick off Kirk Cousins

After the Vikings converted a 4th down on a Bears holding penalty, Kirk Cousins threw an interception on the next play to give Chicago the ball.

The Vikings lead 21-19 early in the fourth quarter.

By WCCO Staff
 

Bears cut Vikings' lead to 21-19

Since the Vikings went up 21-3, the Bears have scored 16 unanswered points to make it 21-19.

The latest Bears score was a 43-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.

By WCCO Staff
 

Bears block Vikings FG to keep it 21-16

Vikings kicker Greg Joseph is 0-for-2 on the day after his second field goal attempt was blocked.

The Bears will take over on offense trailing 21-16.

By WCCO Staff
 

Velus Jones TD makes it 21-16

The Bears cut the Vikings' lead with a touchdown by rookie receiver Velus Jones, but a failed two-point conversion keeps the score at 21-16.

By WCCO Staff
 

Greg Joseph misses FG, Vikings lead 21-10 at halftime

With just a minute left in the half, the Vikings offense managed to make it into field goal range. But kicker Greg Joseph missed the ensuing try, and the Vikings take a 21-10 lead into halftime.

The Bears will get the ball to start the second half.

By WCCO Staff
 

Bears score TD late in 1st half, Vikings lead 21-10

A beautiful one-handed catch by Darnell Mooney put the Bears in scoring position, and David Montgomery ran it in for a touchdown.

The Vikings lead 21-10 with about a minute left in the first half. The Bears will start the second half with the ball.

By WCCO Staff
 

Cousins sets Vikings record for most consecutive completions

Kirk Cousins completed 17 straight passes to start Sunday's game, which is a Vikings record.

His 17th completed pass was a touchdown to Jalen Reagor.

The streak ended  there, though, with his next attempt a throwaway to avoid a sack.

By WCCO Staff
 

Jalen Reagor scores 1st TD in purple, Vikings leads 21-3

Jalen Reagor, whom the Vikings traded for just before this season, scored his first touchdown for the purple and gold.

He took a shovel pass into the end zone on 3rd and goal to put the Vikings up 21-3 over the Bears.

By WCCO Staff
 

Danielle Hunter sack ends Bears drive

Danielle Hunter got to Justin Fields on 3rd and 11, ending the Bears' drive with a sack. 

That's only Hunter's second sack of the season, and his first since week one against the Packers.

By WCCO Staff
 

Cook scores 2nd TD to put Vikings up 14-3

Another Dalvin Cook touchdown puts the Vikings up 14-3 early in the second quarter.

Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 91 yards in the first quarter. Kirk Cousins has yet to throw an incomplete pass.

By WCCO Staff
 

Bears make it 7-3

The Vikings defense held the Bears to a field goal on their opening offensive drive. It's 7-3 midway through the first quarter.

By WCCO Staff
 

Vikings take 7-0 lead on opening drive

An impressive opening drive, featuring four Justin Jefferson catches for 55 yards, ends in a Dalvin Cook touchdown.

The Vikings lead the Bears 7-0 early on.

By WCCO Staff
 

Vikings, Bears announce inactives for Sunday's game

Both sides of Sunday's matchup have announced their inactive players.

For the Vikings, Andrew Booth Jr., Luiji Vilain, Chris Reed, Vederian Lowe, Jalen Nailor, Esezi Otomewo and Khyiris Tonga are inactive.

On the Bears side, Dane Cruikshank, Jaylon Johnson, Kingsley Jonathan and Jake Tonges will sit out.

By WCCO Staff
 

NFL announces US Bank Stadium as November election site

U.S. Bank Stadium will host the Bears vs. Vikings game on Sunday, but in November, it will host voters, according to the NFL.

The league announced Saturday the Vikings' home stadium will serve as a polling place on Nov. 8.

For the full story, click here.

By WCCO Staff
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