Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
Published by Matt Eurich on November 16, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears desperately needed a win in Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, and they came away victorious on Sunday afternoon. Chicago put up 468 yards of total offense and came away with a 21-13 victory.
The Bears’ victory at home marked their first win at Soldier Field this season, as well as Jay Cutler‘s first win at Soldier Field as a starter since October 10, 2013.
Cutler put up 330 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, but Chicago’s star receiving duo and star running back stole the show.
Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery combined for 18 catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Matt Forte finished with 26 carries for 117 yards and hauled in six catches for 58 yards. For the first time in weeks, all three of Chicago’s top offensive weapons made a big impact on the field.
After the Bears failed to produce a win in their last three games, head coach Marc Trestman let his team know it still had all the necessary pieces in place to win football games.
“Coach Trestman showed us that the guys who made those plays are still in the locker room,” said Forte after the game, via ChicagoFootball.com’s Jeff Arnold. “(Trestman said) we could still go out and do this and so the confidence was still there.”
On the other side of the football, Chicago’s defense held Minnesota to just 243 total yards, and defensive end Jared Allen still has faith in his teammates.
“People questioned the character of our locker room, but we know what we have,” Allen said, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. “You can only get beat up so many times before you fight back.”
Chicago will need to continue to fight back if its has any hope of making the playoffs this season. The Bears’ win against the Vikings helped them improve to 4-6 on the season, but they still have a long ways to go in the playoff chase.
Here are our report-card grades for each Bears unit following their Week 11 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
