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Orton, special teams help Bears hold off Vikings

Oct 19, 2008 - 10:22 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bears finally found a way to win a close game Sunday afternoon - insert rookie Zackary Bowman.

Bowman scored a touchdown on special teams and sealed the win with an interception as the Bears held off a late charge by the Minnesota Vikings en route to a wild 48-41 victory in a key NFC North Division matchup.

"It's nervous if you have to play players that haven't played," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "But Zack Bowman ... Zack's got excellent speed, good size and (he's) a smart guy. We were just hoping that he would come through if he was put in that situation."

Kyle Orton threw two touchdown passes and Matt Forte added a 1-yard TD run for Chicago (4-3), which played without starting cornerbacks Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman.

"With their starting corners down and their starting nickel guy down, we thought we were going to be able to throw the ball down the field a little bit," Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte said. "We had the run and the pass going all day, and we were mixing it up pretty well. Just when it came down to it at the end, we didn't get it done."

The Bears, who have lost their three games by a total of eight points, held off another late-game disappointment when Bowman - a replacement in the decimated secondary - intercepted Frerotte's pass in the waning seconds. The Vikings had the ball in the final minute with a chance to tie or go ahead.

"My mindset was just to make the plays when you have the opportunity," Bowman said.

Special teams provided the biggest spark for Chicago, which scored on a 17-yard return by Garrett Wolfe in the first quarter after Chris Kluwe's punt was blocked. Bowman also recovered a fumble in the end zone in the second after Charles Gordon muffed a punt.

"Chuck Gordon's a sure-handed guy back there," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "That's a football bounce. You knew exactly what he was thinking about. He was trying to block that gunner. He gives up that right to block if he signals for a fair catch, so he held it and he was trying to take that gunner off the ball, so he couldn't down it at the 1-yard line, and it took a football bounce."

The Bears also were sharp on offense thanks to Orton, who found tight end Greg Olsen for an 18-yard score in the first quarter and connected with Marty Booker for a 51-yard catch and run late in the third to make it 41-31. Forte's plunge capped the scoring for Chicago.

"Marty Booker turned on the jets and had a huge touchdown for us," said Orton, who was 21-of-32 without an interception. "It seems like everyone is stepping up when their number is called.

"We were banged-up on defense, but we knew we needed to score one more point than they did. We always go into a game thinking we need to score 40 to win. It usually doesn't happen that way."

But the Bears, who lost to the Atlanta Falcons on a last-second field goal last week, allowed 10 straight points late in the fourth - capped by Bernard Berrian's 5-yard TD - a skillful grab which saw the former Bears' receiver drag his back foot in to clinch the score.

The deft footwork may have given a shot of energy to Minnesota's defense, which got the ball back when two runs by Forte and a reverse to Rashied Davis were stopped short of a first down.

But the Bears would not let Frerotte march down the field. On first down from Minnesota's 25, Frerotte was sacked by Tommie Harris, who powered through a double-team to force the Vikings into an eight-yard loss, setting the stage for Bowman's interception.

Adrian Peterson ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings (3-4), who remained inconsistent.

"We've got to be able to get better," Childress said. "The week coming up is a bye, so we need to freshen up, physically and mentally."