Vikings @ Bears

[Vin+ 3,121]

http://hosted.stats.com/fb/preview.asp?g=20130915003&home=3&vis=16

 

(AP) -- If the Minnesota Vikings are to end their struggles in Chicago, they'll likely need to take care of the football against an opportunistic Bears defense that seems to have picked up where it left off last season.

 

Hoping to cut down on the mistakes made in their season-opening defeat, the Vikings look to avoid a sixth straight road loss to the Bears on Sunday.

 

Chicago has won 11 of 12 at home over Minnesota, averaged 35.6 points during this five-game winning streak and won the last three by an average margin of 20.3. The Bears have forced 31 turnovers in those 12 meetings, including 14 in the last five.

 

After leading the NFL with 44 takeaways in 2012, Chicago got a pair of Charles Tillman interceptions and recovered a fumble during last Sunday's 24-21 home win over Cincinnati.

 

That doesn't seem to bode well for the Vikings, who turned the ball over four times courtesy of quarterback Christian Ponder in their 34-24 loss at Detroit last Sunday.

 

"You have to be exceptional to win those games when you finish minus in the turnover ratio," Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier said. "We haven't shown that we are exceptional to be able to do that.

 

"We will get better."

 

If so, it must start with Ponder.

 

The third-year quarterback helped guide Minnesota to the playoffs in 2012, but he threw three interceptions and fumbled a handoff to Adrian Peterson in the fourth quarter that led to a Lions touchdown.

 

"Turnovers on the road - at home as well, but on the road in particular - are tough sometimes to overcome," Frazier said.

 

Ponder, who passed for 236 yards and a TD, has thrown 28 interceptions in 28 regular-season games.

 

"It's always frustrating, but you've just got to forget about it and move on to next week, the Chicago game," said Jerome Simpson, who had seven receptions for 140 yards. "I believe in the guy, and he's going to come back even stronger and more confident this next week."

 

Ponder has thrown a touchdown and three picks in four games against the Bears but did help Minnesota snap a six-game slide in the series with a 21-14 win Dec. 9.

 

He could use a more sustainable effort from Peterson, who ran 78 yards for a touchdown on his first carry last Sunday, then was held to 15 on 17 attempts the rest of the game. Peterson did add another rushing score and a 4-yard TD reception.

 

The NFL's reigning MVP ran for 154 yards and two scores at home against the Bears last season and quietly gained 108 on 18 carries in a 28-10 loss at Soldier Field on Nov. 25.

 

Chicago held the Bengals to 63 rushing yards, but the play of its offense in first-year coach Marc Trestman's West Coast system has the team cautiously optimistic moving forward.

 

The Bears totaled 226 of their 323 yards during a second half in which they erased an 11-point deficit. Jay Cutler completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 242 yards with two TDs, an interception and connected with five receivers. Brandon Marshall had eight receptions for 104 yards and a score and Matt Forte recorded 91 total yards and a rushing TD.

 

After Cutler was sacked 38 times last season, Chicago's revamped offensive line held Cincinnati's vaunted defense without one.

 

"I thought no one got frustrated early on with us and the way we were playing," Cutler said. "We stuck to the game plan. The fourth quarter - that's when you've got to win ballgames in this league."

 

Trestman hopes to see improvement in the running game after Forte was held to 50 yards on 19 carries.

 

"We've got to do a better job for Matt of running the football and we think we can," he said.

 

Forte has averaged 4.1 yards per carry and never rushed for more than 96 in any of his nine games against the Vikings.

 

Marshall was targeted 37 times and caught 22 balls for 252 yards and a TD versus Minnesota in 2012.

 

 

[Dutch 874]

Taking the Bears.

 

24

 

14

[housemd 338]

23

27

[RazorStar 4,025]

Let's see if Cutler can go another game without getting sacked. If he can, it may not be an aberration and the Bears line might actually be good now. It probably is though. Give me the Vikes in a nailbiter.

 

27

24

[Thanatos 2,847]

I think the Bears take this with ease.

 

14

28

[theMileHighGuy 656]

38

20

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

Bears declared OT Jonathan Scott, WR Marquess Wilson, CB C.J. Wilson, RB Michael Ford, DE David Bass, DT Zach Minter and OT James Brown inactive for Week 2 against the Vikings.

It's a quiet list for the Bears, who have yet to be bitten by the injury bug.

 

 

 

 

Vikings declared QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, SS Mistral Raymond, LB Gerald Hodges, LB Michael Mauti, OG Jeff Baca, DT Chase Baker and DE George Johnson inactive for Week 2 against the Bears.

DT Kevin Williams (knee) is active. The Vikings are one of the league's healthier teams entering Week 2.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Just changed my pick on this game. Bears are better, but AP is probably fuming from getting stomped on by Detroit last week. Looking to have a big day, IMO.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Aaand, I was wrong. He doesn't have many carries, but AP is being shut down so far. Pick it up.

[OSUViking 505]

So mad about this loss... we just could NOT finish in the red zone those last two drives. We had this game in the fucking bag with the ball at the 4, and we just couldn't finish. I don't think this was a bad game for us; I think this was a pretty good game overall. We just didn't have the drive needed to finish it. We will look back at being stopped near the goal line and AP having a -13 yard run that undoubtedly was the reason we lost that drive and think: "We could have finished it there."

 

Don't get me wrong, I think we took a HUGE stride forward here, but I'm still very upset.

[BwareDWare94 723]

This loss certainly isn't on Ponder.

 

It's on AP.

 

You don't recover from your star running back running backwards for 17 yards, putting you in 2nd and 27 with a young quarterback and questionable weaponry at his disposal. That guaranteed a field goal on that drive, after Minnesota had moved into TD range.

 

AND, the last drive is on the coaching. The Bears win with a TD either way, so why not go for the kill at their 4 yard line and make the Bears drive 96 yards?

 

So. Damn. Stupid. Ponder was actually quite good today, sans the pick 6 (though Simpson didn't come back for the ball, either).

 

The Vikings could easily be 2-2 before their bye, at least.

Edited September 16, 2013 by BwareDWare94

[Piggly Wiggly 960]

I watched a good portion of the game and Ponder looked pretty fucking mediocre, Bware. Only reason why the game was close was because of Minny's D/ST scoring.

 

Regardless, Minny is FAR from being the ''best overall team'' in the NFC North. Just... no.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I watched a good portion of the game and Ponder looked pretty fucking mediocre, Bware. Only reason why the game was close was because of Minny's D/ST scoring.

 

Regardless, Minny is FAR from being the ''best overall team'' in the NFC North. Just... no.

 

A QB doesn't have to throw 3 TD passes in a game to be good enough to win, and he was, today.

[Piggly Wiggly 960]

 

I watched a good portion of the game and Ponder looked pretty fucking mediocre, Bware. Only reason why the game was close was because of Minny's D/ST scoring.

 

Regardless, Minny is FAR from being the ''best overall team'' in the NFC North. Just... no.

 

A QB doesn't have to throw 3 TD passes in a game to be good enough to win, and he was, today.

 

I watched his performance live. It didn't scream out ''good''. Neither does a 16/30 for 227 yards statline. You take out that Patterson return TD and fumble recovery TD, and the Bears win handily.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

He has to do better... 50% completion and giving as many points to the opponent as you do for your own team just isn't acceptable. Does the loss lay solely on Ponder? Of course not... But he does not elevate this team. The Vikings would be scary good with a real QB.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I don't say it too loudly, but I actually think Cassell would be good enough for this team to at least be in the playoff hunt.

[Piggly Wiggly 960]

https://twitter.com/NFLONFOX/status/379689563691573248

 

[BradyFan81 404]

The pick six was just a horrible pass. Ponder was fine other than that though. Obviously the pick six is a big deal, you can't just excuse that away lol.

 

Adrian Peterson does deserve some blame for the loss yesterday. He had a crucial fumble at midfield and on another drive had a horrible -13 yard run. Then they handed it off for 4 yards. So it's 3rd and 19. No QB is gonna convert that.

 

On the last drive Ponder led them down the field but they go super conservative and try to make the Bears burn TOs instead of going for the kill like Bware said. I thought they should've thrown it on 3rd down.

 

 

As for the Bears, Devin Hester is still amazing. And if you picked Matt Forte in your fantasy league you must be really pleased with him. They use him a ton. The OLine did a good job of protecting Cutler. Bushrod especially handled Allen well I thought.

 

Typical Cutler performance. Made a great throw to Marshall for a TD in the 1st half, and then later I'm pretty sure the Bears ran the exact same play, except this time the Vikings had 2 safeties back and Cutler either doesn't see it or he's a cocky SOB and Harrison Smith had an easy pick.

Edited September 16, 2013 by BradyFan81

[OSUViking 505]

Frazier said AP is simply looking for the home-run play every time he gets the ball.

 

...

 

 

I bashed Chris Johnson to high-hell for doing this, and it's not going to be any different if this is really why AP is "struggling". I'll hold my judgement for now, but I'll be pretty pissed if he's gone to the mentality that he needs to hit a home-run every play. It's probably just a really poor excuse, but you never know.

[Turry 755]

This loss certainly isn't on Ponder.

 

It's on AP.

 

You don't recover from your star running back running backwards for 17 yards, putting you in 2nd and 27 with a young quarterback and questionable weaponry at his disposal. That guaranteed a field goal on that drive, after Minnesota had moved into TD range.

 

AND, the last drive is on the coaching. The Bears win with a TD either way, so why not go for the kill at their 4 yard line and make the Bears drive 96 yards?

 

So. Damn. Stupid. Ponder was actually quite good today, sans the pick 6 (though Simpson didn't come back for the ball, either).

 

The Vikings could easily be 2-2 before their bye, at least.

If your a star qb or even a qb with talent you get out of holes like 2nd and 27 and do things like coming back to win within the last seconds on the final drive. Ponder is terrible bro deal with it. He is starting cause he replaced a washed up Mcnabb. Also lmao at "the vikings are serious playoff contenders in the north" comment in the offseason. going 16 of 30 for 227 yards and throwing a pick six is not actually quite good lol.

Edited September 17, 2013 by monstersofthemidway

[Dutch 874]

Killer play

 

[BwareDWare94 723]

Killer play

 

 

I think nearly every Jay Cutler passing TD was on Chris Cook, and I wanted to fire Frazier for that play. Or at least Alan Williams. Why on God's green earth would you play coverage that soft that close to the endzone?

Edited September 19, 2013 by BwareDWare94