Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears: Third quarter recap and fourth quarter discussion

There’s just one quarter of play remaining at Soldier Field, and the Minnesota Vikings still look awful, as they trail the Chicago Bears by a score of 16-0.

The Vikings got the football first coming out of the locker room, and they had it for exactly one play as Khalil Mack got to Kirk Cousins for a strip-sack with the Bears recovering. Absolutely disastrous start to the quarter when they could least afford it.

Chicago took over at the Minnesota 16-yard line, but the Vikings’ defense stepped up and forced the Bears to settle for another Eddy Pineiro field goal, this one from 38 yards out. That made the score 13-0. . .but, naturally, the Vikings followed with a three-and-out on their next possession.

After the teams exchanged punts, the Bears put together another long drive, pushing into the Minnesota red zone. However, the Vikings’ defense stiffened again, and Pineiro came on for another field goal, a 30-yarder to make it 16-0.

The Vikings put together their best drive of the game on their next possession, going for it on 4th-and-3 in their own territory and seeing Cousins connect with Stefon Diggs on a 39-yard pass into Chicago territory at the 30. Of course, it all went south from there, as Cousins fumbled again and, while the Vikings ultimately recovered, they wound up with 3rd-and-35.

SPOILER: They didn’t convert

As we move to the fourth quarter, the Vikings trail the Bears, 16-0, and have shown just about no signs of life. Will that change in the fourth quarter? I doubt it, but let’s watch anyway!