The Chicago Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings 12-10 on Sunday, thanks to four field goals by Cairo Santos and four interceptions by Joshua Dobbs. The game was a low-scoring affair, as both teams struggled to move the ball consistently and capitalized on each other’s mistakes.
Santos delivers in clutch moments
The Bears’ offense was unable to find the end zone, but Santos made sure they did not come away empty-handed. The veteran kicker converted four of his five field goal attempts, including a 30-yarder with 10 seconds left that gave the Bears the lead for good. Santos also made kicks from 42, 47, and 48 yards, while missing a 52-yarder in the first quarter. Santos has been one of the most reliable kickers in the league this season, making 28 of his 31 field goal attempts and all 23 of his extra-point tries.
Dobbs throws four picks in the first start
The Vikings were forced to start Dobbs at quarterback, as Kirk Cousins was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday. Dobbs, who was acquired from the Steelers in a trade last week, had a rough debut for his new team. He completed 18 of 35 passes for 189 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also lost a fumble on a sack by Robert Quinn, who recorded his 18th sack of the season and broke the Bears’ single-season record. Dobbs threw two interceptions in the first half, one to Eddie Jackson and one to Jaylon Johnson. He threw two more in the second half, one to Roquan Smith and one to Kindle Vildor. The Bears converted three of the four interceptions into field goals, while the fourth one ended the game.
The Vikings’ defense keeps them in the game
Despite Dobbs’ turnovers, the Vikings’ defense kept them in the game and gave them a chance to win. The Vikings held the Bears to 267 total yards and 4.2 yards per play. They also sacked Andy Dalton four times and forced two fumbles, recovering one. The Vikings’ defense scored the only touchdown of the game when Patrick Peterson returned a fumble by David Montgomery 42 yards to the end zone in the third quarter. That gave the Vikings a 10-9 lead, their first and only lead of the game. The Vikings’ defense also stopped the Bears on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter, keeping the score at 12-10.
