By Joseph Phillips, Crusader Sports Editor
The Chicago Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings 33-27, on Sunday, December 20, on the road.
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw for 202 yards, one TD, one interception on 15 of 21 passing attempts in week 15 for the Bears.
With a 97.7 percent QB passing rating for the game, Trubisky led the Bears offense to another 20-plus points, first-half performance for the third consecutive week in a row.
“There’s really good [team] camaraderie right now,” said Trubisky via ESPN. “Just an intensity and a focus that I like to see. We’re in a good spot [right now]. We’ve just got to keep it going.”
The 20-plus points in the first half by the Bears offense marked the first time the team has scored that much since 1967.
During the game, the Bears offense prevailed on two separate 10-play scoring drives. This included a 13-play drive, which was capped off by a 1-yard TD run by running back David Montgomery, and a 11-play scoring drive, which also ended on a 14-yard TD run by Montgomery.
“It’s been fun, man,” said Montgomery via ESPN, about his success as a running back on the field. “[Just] being able to go out there and just let it loose.”
It was Montgomery’s third career multi-TD game (11/3/19 at Philadelphia and 12/6/2020 vs. Detroit).
After rushing for 146 yards and 2 TDs, Montgomery became the first Bear since Jordan Howard to rush for 100-plus yards in back-to-back games since 2016. Montgomery has now eclipsed 100 yards in three of the past four games.
On the season, Montgomery now has five rushing TDs and two receiving TDs. He is one of four running backs with at least 700 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards.
Following a superb rushing performance by Montgomery, kicker Cairo Santos also made four clutch field goals throughout the game. This included two from 42 yards out and an additional two from both the 35 and 48 yards out.
After going 4-of-4 from field goal range during Sunday’s game, Santos has now extended his streak to 22 consecutive made field goals. His streak dates back to week 3 of the 2020 NFL season.
Since joining the Bears, Santos has made 25 of his 27 field goal attempts.
Final Score: Bears 33, Vikings 27
With the win on Sunday, the Bears have now won its last three meetings at Minnesota. This included a 24-10 victory in 2018 and 21-19 victory in 2019.
The Bears are now 7-7 on the season and entered Sunday’s game one game behind the Arizona Cardinals for the new third wild-card spot in the NFC.
Chicago Crusader Players of The Game
#RB David Montgomery, Bears, 146 rushing yards, 2 TDs.
#QB Mitch Trubisky, Bears, 202 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, on 15 of 21 passing attempts.
Joseph R. Phillips is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 15 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q & A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
