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The Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings already were eliminated from playoff contention entering Sunday’s play finale astatine U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here’s the latest Week 18 updates from Minneapolis.
Halftime: Bears 14, Vikings 3
The Bears defence held the Vikings to 87 nett yards successful the archetypal fractional to substance a 14-3 halftime pb astatine U.S. Bank Stadium.
Bears backmost Andy Dalton deed a wide-open Damien Williams with a 23-yard touchdown walk with 31 seconds to play successful the 2nd quarter, and Allen Robinson caught the two-point conversion walk for the 14-0 lead.
Bears kicker Cairo Santos made fields goals from 43 and 46 yards retired connected the Bears’ archetypal and 4th drives of the half.
Meanwhile, Vikings backmost Kirk Cousins completed 5 of 10 passes for 78 yards and was sacked twice, and moving backmost Dalvin Cook gained 12 yards connected six carries. Cousins had 65 of those passing yards connected the last thrust of the half, which ended with Greg Joseph’s 39-yard tract goal.
The Bears turned the shot implicit connected 4th down doubly successful the half.
They went for it connected 4th down doubly connected their 2nd drive. David Montgomery ran for 4 yards connected fourth-and-1. But Dalton aboriginal was sacked for a nonaccomplishment of 15 yards connected a fourth-and-5 blitz, giving the Vikings the shot astatine midfield.
The Bears defence came done with the halt pursuing that play. Sam Kamara had a tackle for a nonaccomplishment against Dalvin Cook to propulsion the Vikings into third-and-13. And Angelo Blackson took down Cousins portion Trevis Gipson stripped the ball, pushing the Vikings retired of field-goal range.
The Bears enactment unneurotic different coagulated thrust connected their adjacent possession. But connected fourth-and-1 from the 13, the Bears opted to walk alternatively than telephone a play for Montgomery, and Dalton was sacked again.
Filling successful for Justin Fields, who is retired with COVID-19, Dalton threw for 162 yards. Montgomery had 61 rushing yards. And Darnell Mooney had six catches for 71 yards to deed 1,000 receiving yards successful his 2nd season.
Inactives announced
Bears extracurricular linebacker Robert Quinn and chemoreceptor tackle Eddie Goldman volition play against the Vikings aft they were listed arsenic questionable Friday. Quinn, who set the Bears’ single-season sacks record past week, is dealing with a enarthrosis injury, and Goldman has a digit injury.
Justin Fields remains connected the reserve/COVID-19 database and truthful volition not play.
As was antecedently announced, antiaircraft lineman Akiem Hicks volition miss what could beryllium his past crippled with the Bears arsenic helium continues his betterment from a nagging ankle injury.
Cornerback Duke Shelley (heel), violative linemen Elijah Wilkinson and Lachavious Simmons and moving backmost Ryan Nall are besides inactive for the Bears.
For the Vikings, backmost Kellen Mond, cornerbacks Mackensie Alexander and Kris Boyd, moving backmost Wayne Gallman, choky extremity Zach Davidson, defender Wyatt Davis and antiaircraft tackle Michael Pierce are inactive.
Latest Bears buzz connected Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace
The Tribune’s Brad Biggs reported Friday that portion Nagy is expected to beryllium fired Sunday oregon Monday pursuing the play finale, the buzz astir the league is the Bears could clasp wide manager Ryan Pace successful immoderate role.
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Pregame
In what potentially could beryllium his past crippled arsenic Bears coach, Matt Nagy inactive expects his squad to enactment distant its champion effort to extremity the play connected a three-game winning streak.
The Bears bushed the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants aft their nonaccomplishment to the Vikings officially knocked them from the playoff race.
“We each play to triumph the Super Bowl. That’s wherefore we coach, that’s wherefore we play,” Nagy said. “The biggest situation arsenic a player, arsenic a manager is to marque definite that we support that work to bash everything that we’ve been doing … and support warring similar you would if you had a chance, and that’s what I’m arrogant of with these guys.
“When there’s adversity that strikes and erstwhile things don’t spell arsenic good arsenic you privation it to go, however bash you react? Do you change? Do you dainty radical differently? Are you a antithetic caput coach? Are you a antithetic benignant of player? Because arsenic they each say, that reveals your existent character. In the end, we each look backmost and say, ‘How did we respond during a pugnacious time?’ I deliberation everybody successful this gathering tin archer you, ‘We reacted beauteous well.’”
Veteran Andy Dalton volition commencement astatine backmost aft rookie Justin Fields tested affirmative for COVID-19 during the week. Nagy said Nick Foles would beryllium the backup. Though Fields technically could person tested backmost into the playing, Nagy indicated the missed signifier clip Thursday and Friday would beryllium excessively overmuch to travel backmost from.
Dalton volition effort to extremity a challenging play connected a precocious note.
He was the starter to unfastened the play earlier suffering a genu wounded successful Week 2. As helium was recovering from the injury, the Bears turned to Fields arsenic the imperishable starter. Dalton came backmost to capable successful for the then-injured Fields successful a Thanksgiving Day triumph against the Detroit Lions but suffered manus and groin injuries and tested affirmative for COVID-19 successful December.
He returned to bushed the Giants past week with Fields retired with an ankle injury.
“It’s been up and down,” Dalton said. “There’s a batch that has gone connected and a batch of things that were not expected astatine times, but it’s benignant of 1 of those things that you person to larn and turn from each acquisition that you person and that’s conscionable benignant of wherever I’m at.”
Injury report
Aside from Fields being connected the reserve/COVID-19 list, antiaircraft lineman Akiem Hicks is the lone Bears subordinate who was declared retired Friday. Hicks has been dealing with an ankle wounded and volition miss his eighth crippled this season.
Outside linebacker Robert Quinn (shoulder), chemoreceptor tackle Eddie Goldman (finger) and cornerback Duke Shelley (heel) were listed arsenic questionable.
The Bears connected Saturday elevated wide receiver Dazz Newsome from the signifier squad. The 2021 sixth-round prime has played successful 2 games.
For the Vikings, antiaircraft tackle Michael Pierce (illness) is doubtful portion Mackensie Alexander (ankle), Kris Boyd (ribs) and Wyatt Davis (illness) are questionable.
Miss thing this week? Catch up earlier the past kickoff of the play (noon, FOX).
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- ‘He unopen everybody up.’ Robert Quinn’s resurgence — including breaking Richard Dent’s Bears grounds for sacks successful a play — has been remarkable.
- Column: Hub Arkush isn’t ‘a bum,’ but his thoughts connected Aaron Rodgers’ MVP candidacy were incorrect — and helium should recuse himself from voting
- NFL playoff scenarios: The 1st Week 18 volition extremity with a Sunday nighttime showdown betwixt the Chargers and Raiders for a wild-card spot
- Green Bay Packers clinch the No. 1 effect successful the NFC playoffs
- 4 moments from the Bears’ blowout that could beryllium important to the future, from Trevis Gipson’s 1st sack to Darnell Mooney’s TD
- The Arlington Heights Bears? Here’s what to cognize astir the team’s imaginable determination from Chicago’s Soldier Field.
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