Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Box Score on Nov 16, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 16, 2014

Bears 21, Vikings 13: Jay Cutler threw three touchdown passes - two to Brandon Marshall - as host Chicago posted a much-needed victory.

The Bears had lost three straight games, allowing 50-plus points in each of the last two contests, and had not won at home all season prior to Sunday, when Cutler went 31-of-43 for 330 yards and overcame a pair of interceptions. Alshon Jeffery caught 11 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown while Marshall hauled in seven catches for 90 yards.

Matt Forte added 175 scrimmage yards - 117 on the ground - for Chicago (4-6), which nearly doubled up Minnesota in total yardage, 468-243. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 158 yards and a touchdown and Charles Johnson contributed six catches for 87 yards for the Vikings (4-6), who failed to convert nine of their 11 third-down attempts.

The Bears faced an early 10-0 deficit after Blair Walsh drained a 50-yard field goal and Bridgewater found Rhett Ellison for a 7-yard touchdown. However, Chicago dominated the second quarter with a pair of deep scoring strikes - a 27-yard heave from Cutler to Jeffery and a 44-yard bomb to Marshall late in the period.

The third quarter was a story of missed opportunities, including Cutler getting stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the 1 and later throwing an interception that the Vikings could not take advantage of, as Walsh missed a 38-yard kick. Cutler's 4-yard TD pass to Marshall pushed the Bears' advantage to 21-10 midway through the fourth and the Vikings responded with a short field goal with 4:04 left before their final possession, which started at the 34 with just over two minutes left, ended with an interception by Ryan Mundy in the end zone with 42 ticks showing.

GAME NOTEBOOK: In the first half, the Bears had 216 passing yards to 33 for the Vikings. ... Chicago had not won a home game since defeating Dallas on Dec. 9 of last season. ... Minnesota perfectly executed a fake punt in the first half, as Andrew Sendejo ran 48 yards to set up the Vikings' only touchdown. Sendejo, a safety, finished as Minnesota's leading rusher on the day.