• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Vikings avoid another tie, edge Bears in OT

Dec 2, 2013 - 12:09 AM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Blair Walsh hit a 34-yard field goal with 1:43 left in overtime as the Minnesota Vikings overcame the Chicago Bears, 23-20.

Adrian Peterson totaled 211 yards on 35 carries and became the third fastest player to eclipse 10,000 career yards on Sunday. His final three runs totaled 26 yards to set up the field goal.

Matt Cassel replaced an injured Christian Ponder late in the first half and finished the game 20-for-33 for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Vikings (3-8-1), who were coming off a tie with Green Bay last week.

Ponder suffered a possible concussion late in the first half and did not return.

"That was a wild football game and I'm just glad we came out on top," said Minnesota head coach Leslie Frazier. "I'm very proud of the guys and the way they played."

Alshon Jeffery broke his own team record with 249 receiving yards on 12 catches -- two of which went for touchdowns -- for the Bears (6-6), who have dropped their past two games.

Josh McCown was 23-for-36 for 355 yards and two touchdowns, while Matt Forte carried the ball 23 times for 120 yards for Chicago, which fell a game back of Detroit for the top spot in the NFC North.

"I was really proud of the effort in all three phases of the game," said Chicago head coach Marc Trestman. "But as hard as we played, we didn't play hard enough to win. We just didn't get it done."

Chicago began the overtime with the ball and managed a pair of first downs, but had to punt near midfield.

Minnesota then got into field goal range and Walsh hit a 39-yard field goal for what appeared to be the winner. However, a face mask call to Rhett Ellison moved the ball back 15 yards, and Peterson lost three yards on a carry before Walsh missed a 57-yarder wide left.

Forte then carried the ball five times for 24 yards and Robbie Gould lined up for a 47-yard attempt, but he missed his chance to the right as the Vikings got the ball back at their own 37.

A 4-yard run from Peterson was followed by a 17-yard catch from Greg Jennings to get the ball across midfield. After an incompletion, Peterson had runs of 11, 4 and 11 yards to get the ball down to the 16. Walsh then booted the ball through the uprights for the win.

"We always know if we get Walsh in a comfortable zone he is gonna knock it down and win the game," said Cassel. "It feels good to get the victory."

Chicago started the second half with the ball and trailing by a point, but it didn't trail for long as the second play saw McCown go deep for Jeffery, who made the catch near midfield and took it in for an 80-yard score and a 13-7 lead less than a minute in.

With Cassel under center, the Vikings drove down the field on their ensuing touch, converting a 4th-and-1 with a 5-yard run from Peterson. The team eventually had a 1st-and-goal at the 8, but failed to get it in and a 32-yard field goal from Walsh made it a 13-10 game with 7:08 left in the third.

Forte took the first snap of Chicago's next possession 41 yards to the Minnesota 42. After getting sacked, McCown went deep down the left sideline for Jeffery, who made a brilliant catch and kept both feet in bounds for a 46- yard score and a 20-10 lead with 5:15 to play in the third.

Minnesota's first possession of the fourth quarter saw the team tie the game, as Cassel floated a pass to the right corner of the end zone where Jennings came down with an 8-yard score to make it a 20-17 game with 7:41 to play.

The teams then exchanged turnover, and Chicago went three-and-out to give Minnesota the ball back at its own 9 with 2:40 to play.

Quickly facing a 4th-and-11, Cassel went over the middle where Jerome Simpson caught the ball for 20 yards to move the chains. Two plays later, Simpson had a 24-yard catch, and two more completions by Cassel moved the ball to the Chicago 12. Walsh then hit a 30-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to tie the game.

Devin Hester returned the kickoff to midfield, but Chicago managed just two yards and Gould's 66-yard field goal attempt fell short to send the game to overtime.

Chicago scored the first points of the game on its third possession of the first quarter, as Gould hit a 30-yard field goal with 1:06 to play for a 3-0 lead. Jeffery caught passes of nine and 11 yards to start the drive, and Earl Bennett had a 15-yard reception on 3rd-and-18 from the Minnesota 27 to give Gould a much easier shot at the field goal.

After an exchange of punts, Minnesota started the ball at its own 10 and the first play saw Simpson catch a pass for 32 yards. Four plays later from the Chicago 33, Cordarrelle Patterson took a pitch out to the right and broke two tackles on his way to the end zone for a 7-3 lead with 7:27 to play in the first half.

The Bears answered on their next touch with a 40-yard field goal from Gould to make it a one-point game with 2:47 to play. The drive covered 58 yards over 10 plays, with the big gain of the march being a 19-yard catch by Jeffery on 3rd- and-8.

Game Notes

Peterson became the 28th player in NFL history to eclipse 10,000 yards rushing. Also, he is the third player in NFL history with five 200-yard rushing games ... Minnesota cornerback Chris Cook was thrown out for making contact with an official following Jeffery's second touchdown catch ... Chicago hosts Dallas next Monday night ... Minnesota plays in Baltimore next Sunday ... Chicago had won seven of eight against Minnesota coming into the game ... Jennings led Minnesota receivers with seven catches for 78 yards.