CHICAGO - The Minnesota Vikings wanted nothing more than to wash away the bitter taste from a blowout loss and head into the postseason on a sweeter note.
This was more like it.
Kirk Cousins threw for 225 yards and a touchdown in the first half and watched the rest of the way as the NFC North champion Vikings tuned up for the playoffs by beating the Chicago Bears 29-13 on Sunday.
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Cousins led three scoring drives as the Vikings (13-4), who'll host the New York Giants next Sunday, grabbed a 16-6 halftime lead. They remained in control the rest of the way after getting blown out at Green Bay the previous week. It was the first time since Week 1 that Minnesota won by more than one score, and the team finished the year outscored by opponents 427-424.
"You don't feel good all week and you're disappointed and it kind of carries with you," Cousins said. "And to be able to come back out on the field and compete and play a cleaner game and be sharp, I think it does help. But I don't think you ever forget what happened last Sunday or what happened in Week 2 against the Eagles."
The Bears (3-14), who held out star Justin Fields, set a franchise record with their 14th loss and extended one by dropping their 10th game in a row. Only the 1969 team that went 1-13 had a worse record.
Chicago also got a big win by landing the No. 1 pick in the draft. The loss combined with Houston prevailing 32-31 at Indianapolis put Chicago in the top spot for the first time since 1947.
"Whoever comes in, we're going to change things around," safety Jaquan Brisker said. "So have his mentality right. Whoever we get, hopefully it's somebody great. It's time to turn it around."
Cousins bounced back from a rough outing, completing 17 of 20 passes while posting a sparkling 130.2 rating. He hit K.J. Osborn for a 66-yard completion on Minnesota's first possession, setting up a 4-yard touchdown to Adam Thielen, and led two more scoring drives.
Nick Mullens came on in the third quarter and was 11 of 13 for 116 yards and an interception. Osborn had 117 yards on five catches. Justin Jefferson added four receptions for 38 yards, boosting his team-record totals to 128 and 1,809 on the season.
Alexander Mattison ran for a career-high two touchdowns, scoring from the 1 in both the second and third quarters.
"Offensively, I thought we stacked good plays," coach Kevin O'Connell said. "Even when there were some exotic kind of (defensive back) pressures to try to stop some of our run game, we were able to overcome those things."
NO FIELDS
Fields' pursuit of the NFL single-season rushing record for a quarterback ended when the Bears announced during the week he would miss the game because of a strained hip and Nathan Peterman would start in his place.
Peterman completed 11 of 19 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in his fifth career start and first since 2018 with Buffalo.
Tim Boyle played the second quarter and came back into the game late in the fourth. He threw two interceptions and completed just 2 of 8 passes.
Velus Jones Jr. had a 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bears finished with 118 yards rushing, giving them a franchise-record 3,014 on the season and surpassing the previous mark of 2,974 in 1984.
"We didn't have the season we wanted to, but it's about everybody coming back to work and putting their all into this organization for the Bears," Jones said. "Everybody take a mental break this offseason, but get back to work and better yourself."
BIG START
The Vikings, plagued by slow starts, needed just four plays on their first possession of the game to grab a 6-0 lead.
Cousins hit a wide open Osborn for a 66-yard pass to the 4, then connected with Thielen for a TD. Greg Joseph's extra point sailed wide right - his sixth miss in 44 attempts.
Minnesota added to the lead early in the second quarter when Mattison scored from the 1 to cap a 12-play drive.
Boyle, who played for Green Bay when Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was the Packers' quarterbacks coach, took over on Chicago's fourth possession. He threw a long pass on third down that Patrick Peterson picked off with no receivers near him and returned 28 yards to the 35. Joseph kicked a field goal to make it 16-0.
INJURIES
Vikings: O'Connell said LB Za'Darius Smith (personal matter) and S Harrison Smith (sore knee) to be available next week. Za'Darius Smith traveled separately from the team to Chicago. O'Connell wasn't sure if Garrett Bradbury (back) would be. ... CB Chandon Sullivan (knee contusion) and RB Dalvin Cook (cleat to the leg) got banged up, but should be ready for next week.
Bears: DB Elijah Hicks (concussion) left in the third quarter. ... WR Equanimeous St. Brown (knee) was also hurt.
UP NEXT
Vikings: Will host the New York Giants in a wild-card game next Sunday.
Bears: All eyes will be on general manager Ryan Poles - particularly with the No. 1 pick - as he tries to surround Fields with the talent he needs and improve a shaky defense.
"Together as one": Vikings release playoff hype video
Giants already looking ahead to playoff rematch with Vikings
Daniel Jones took the day off. Saquon Barkley and his 1,312 yards rushing never saw the field. The New York Giants used a lineup more fitting for a preseason game - all so they could stay healthy for a playoff game.
The final score - Eagles 22, Giants 16 - was largely immaterial to New York on Sunday night. The Giants already secured the No. 6 seed in the NFC and just needed to get through the game to learn their playoff opponent.
Now they know, and the Giants (9-7-1) head to Minnesota (13-4) next Sunday for a rematch of their first meeting this season, played just two weeks ago.
The Giants expect a better outing than their one Sunday.
"I'd say we did enough to get to the postseason," coach Brian Daboll said.
The Giants, winners of four Super Bowls, are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The game film and scouting reports are about as fresh for both teams as they can get. Greg Joseph's franchise-record 61-yard field goal as time expired on Dec. 24 gave the Vikings a 27-24 victory.
Jones had 334 yards and a touchdown to Isaiah Hodgins with one interception on 30-for-42 passing. Barkley rushed 14 times for 84 yards.
The Giants were ready to get back to New Jersey and start thinking about the Vikings.
"We've got to take these buses home, get in the training room, get in the meeting room and have our best week of preparation," Daboll said.
New York's reward for clinching a playoff spot last week was the chance to give the backups a shot against the Eagles, who clinched the top seed in the NFC with a victory.
In a surprise decision, the Giants elevated Davis Webb off the practice squad and started him over No. 2 QB Tyrod Taylor. Webb, in his first career start, rushed for a 14-yard touchdown in the fourth that made it 19-9. He tossed a 25-yard TD pass to Kenny Golladay late in the fourth that made it 22-16. He threw for 168 yards on 23-of-40 passing.
"Very thankful for that opportunity," Webb said. "It was a battle. They're a really good team, but I didn't play good enough for us to win early in the game."
Daboll didn't get into specifics on why he chose Webb over Taylor. And he had no regrets about running out his B-team against an Eagles team that had plenty to lose in defeat.
"It's the NFL, so the guys you have on the team, you have confidence in," Daboll said. "I thought our guys competed all the way to the end."
Golladay, who had 11 touchdowns for Detroit in 2019, scored his first one in two seasons with the Giants.
"It felt good to finally get that first touchdown," he said.
It was about time. So was their return to the playoffs.
The Giants overcame injuries and a 2-4-1 slide in November and early December to become the third NFC East team to qualify for the postseason, joining Philadelphia and Dallas. The bulk of the credit goes to first-year general manager Joe Schoen and rookie coach Daboll. They straightened out the franchise after the Giants went 4-13 last season, their fifth straight double-digit losing season. The Giants have made the playoffs only twice since they won their fourth Super Bowl in February 2012.
New York's season already seems a success.
The Giants, though, want so much more.
Vikings-Giants playoff game set
The date and time is set for the Vikings' Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Giants.
The game will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
K.J. Osborn has big day as Vikings beat Bears in finale
With Justin Jefferson commanding his usual attention, K.J. Osborn stepped up for Minnesota.
The Vikings are hoping it's a sign of things to come.
Osborn had a game-high five catches for 117 yards during Sunday's 29-13 victory over the Chicago Bears, sending the NFC North champions into the playoffs on a high note. Osborn closed his third NFL season with 30 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns over his last five games.
"His role is an evolving thing, snap in and snap out," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. "He's incredibly valuable as a play-caller to the coaches, but also to the 10 guys in the huddle knowing the different jobs he's going to do. When called upon, he's as explosive and reliable as anybody we have."
Minnesota has one of the league's best receivers in Jefferson, who had an NFL-high 128 receptions for 1,809 yards this season. But he might attract even more attention in the playoffs, forcing Kirk Cousins to take a closer look at some of his secondary options.
The Vikings (13-4) are going to need Osborn, Adam Thielen or tight end T.J. Hockenson to deliver when Jefferson is surrounded, and Osborn thinks they are ready for the challenge.
"Playing with, in my opinion, the best receiver in the league, and a vet in Adam Thielen, it's a lot of coverage. You know, we got T.J. It's all types of guys in our offense," Osborn said. "So any time I try to get my opportunity, I try to make the best of them."
Osborn helped Minnesota get off to a fast start in its season finale. He had a 66-yard reception on the team's first drive, setting up Thielen's 4-yard touchdown catch.
He had a 7-yard reception on a third-and-6 deep in Chicago territory in the second quarter, a drive that concluded with the first of two 1-yard TD runs by Alexander Mattison.
"What's been great about K.J.'s journey is the more we put on his plate, the more he shows he can handle it," Cousins said. "His rookie year, we didn't give him a big role. Last year, he started showing up more and more, sometimes on accident, where he's getting the ball and not expecting it and he's just making plays. Then this year, give him more, and he's handled it."
Vikings win 29-13
The Vikings close out the regular season with a 13-4 record. Next up, the playoffs.
Another field goal for Vikings, 29-13
Vikings' Greg Joseph makes another field goal, 26-13
What?? Buffalo Bills return another kickoff for touchdown
Another check-in at the Bills-Patriots game. Another kickoff return for touchdown. Is this real?
Bears' Cole Kmet scores tough TD, Vikings lead 23-13
Alexander Mattison gets his second rushing touchdown of the day
The Vikings now lead 23-6 after another rushing touchdown from Alexander Mattison. The one-two punch of Mattison and Dalvin Cook will be needed during the playoffs.
Nick Mullens now in as Vikings quarterback
After a solid offensive first half by Kirk Cousins, it appears the Vikings are now resting him for the playoffs. Mullens is in.
16-6 at halftime
Bears score touchdown after big sideline run
Vikings kicker Greg Joseph makes field goal, Minnesota up 16-0
Update: Dalvin Cook back on the field
After a brief scare, Cook seems to be OK and is back on the field for Minnesota.
Vikings CB Patrick Peterson records interception
Cornerback Patrick Peterson capitalized on miscommunication from Chicago Bears and intercepted a pass.
Vikings running back Alexander Mattison runs hard for TD
The Vikings are up 13-0 after a touchdown run from running back Alexander Mattison. This time, they make the extra point. Good time to step up for the No. 2 running back.
Dalvin Cook appears to suffer knee injury (but is now out of medical tent)
Not something you want to see before the playoffs. Good news is that he was walking around before going into the tent, and was only in the tent briefly.
Vikings' Dalvin Cook fumbles
Running back Dalvin Cook fumbles while in Bears' territory. Bears have the ball. It's Cook's fourth fumble of the year.
NFL News: "Chills" for the Bills' opening kickoff
ForWhile technically it's not part of the Vikings game, the Bills-Patriots game got off to a memorable start. In the first game after Damar Hamlin's scary injury, the Bills returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Patrick Jones II -- a former teammate of Hamlin's -- also had a sack Sunday and pointed to the No. 3 on his wrist.
