Bears vs. Vikings: Minnesota cruises as Bears' offense sputters

The Bears have now lost eight games in a row, falling 30-12 to the Vikings on Monday night.

Keenan Allen led all receivers with 82 yards in the game, and DJ Moore had eight catches, but it wasn't enough as Chicago's offense only managed one touchdown.

The Bears will next take on the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field, while the Vikings will carry their seven-game winning streak into Seattle for a Sunday afternoon showdown.

It appears the Chicago Bears are headed toward an eighth straight loss after the Minnesota Vikings extended their lead in the fourth quarter.

After the Bears were forced to settle for a field goal, Cam Akers rushed for a touchdown for Minnesota, giving the Vikings a commanding 27-6 lead with 10:14 remaining in the game.

The Chicago Bears thought they had a touchdown for D'Andre Swift. It was wiped out after offensive lineman Doug Kramer didn't report as an eligible receiver.

Another gain getting them close to the goal line was erased by a holding penalty from Kiran Amegadjie, and ultimately the Bears had to settle for a field goal after Keenan Allen got a hand on a pass intended for Rome Odunze in the end zone.

The Bears' offensive struggles in the first half of games are becoming quite legendary.

Monday's game marks the third straight time that the Bears have been shutout in the first half of a game, with zero points and just 106 yards of offense in the first half.

A Bears turnover ultimately led to a Justin Jefferson touchdown reception for the Vikings, as they now lead the Bears 10-0.

The turning point was Caleb Williams getting absolutely hammered on a third-and-nine play, with Jonathan Greenard coming in almost completely unblocked by Kiran Amegadjie to get the strip-sack and fumble recovery.

The Bears decided to for a fourth down conversion on their first drive, but D'Andre Swift's run was stopped short of the line to gain.

The Bears' defense stepped up however, limiting Minnesota to a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

The Minnesota Vikings will be without one of their key defensive contributors Monday, as cornerback Stephon Gilmore will miss the game.

Gilmore had been listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, but won't suit up for the NFC North showdown.

Defensive lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez, backup center Dan Feeney, backup tackle Walter Rouse and quarterback Brett Rypien are also inactive for Minnesota.

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson pulled out one of his best looks of the season for Monday's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

No caption needed. #ProBowlVote + @NBAxJay1 pic.twitter.com/W6GziIsZWG

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 16, 2024

It's appropriate that with the Minnesota Vikings wearing their icy-themed "Winter Warrior" jerseys on Monday that Vanilla Ice will be performing the halftime show at the game.

Vanilla Ice rose to prominence on the success of his song "Ice, Ice, Baby," and has appeared in a wide variety of television projects in recent years. Among his most recent was voice work on the "Crime Boss: Rockay City" video game and a role in the show "Seaper Powers: Mystery of the Blue Pearls."

ESPN and ABC are each airing Monday Night Football games on Monday night. The Bears and Vikings will kick off at 7 p.m. on ABC, with the game also available on the ESPN-Plus app.

The Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders will kick off at 7:30 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN.

The Bears will be without two offensive linemen for Monday’s game, with both Ryan Bates and Braxton Jones out with concussions.

Bears running back Roschon Johnson is also out with a concussion, with pass rusher Gervon Dexter out with a knee injury, the team said.

Running back D’Andre Swift is questionable as he continues to work through a quad injury.