59° and Mist
MINNEAPOLIMEDIA SPORTS | Vikings Grind Out 9-3 Victory Over Bears Behind Defense and Special Teams
CHICAGO, IL (September 21, 2026). The Minnesota Vikings survived relentless rain, difficult field conditions and a final Chicago possession Sunday to defeat the Bears 9-3 at Soldier Field, improving to 2-0 and taking an early lead in the NFC North.
Neither team reached the end zone in what became the lowest-scoring game in the history of the Vikings-Bears rivalry. Minnesota instead relied on three Will Reichard field goals, a defense that forced two turnovers and a blocked kick by Isaiah Rodgers.
Dallas Turner delivered the final blow.
With Chicago facing fourth-and-2 from the Minnesota 12-yard line and one second remaining, Turner fought through tight end Colston Loveland and sacked backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. The play secured Minnesota’s seventh consecutive victory at Soldier Field and gave Turner his second sack of the game.
Turner finished with five tackles, two tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. Minnesota recorded four sacks overall and prevented Chicago from scoring on three possessions that reached the Vikings’ 20-yard line.
The most consequential sequence began during the third quarter, when the Bears moved to first-and-goal at Minnesota’s 1-yard line. Defensive lineman Jalen Redmond knocked the ball away from running back D’Andre Swift, and Rodgers recovered the fumble before Chicago could take the lead.
Rodgers made another game-changing play in the fourth quarter.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams scrambled to the Minnesota 6-yard line but went down without contact after suffering what the Bears described as a right hamstring injury. Williams was helped from the field and later taken to the locker room on a cart.
Bagent entered the game, but the drive stalled. Cairo Santos attempted a 23-yard field goal that would have tied the score at 6, but Rodgers broke through the protection and blocked the kick with 6:21 remaining.
Minnesota then moved far enough for Reichard to connect from 39 yards with 1:09 left. The kick followed earlier field goals from 35 and 49 yards and gave the Vikings their final six-point advantage.
Reichard accounted for all nine Minnesota points.
Aaron Jones carried much of the offensive workload, rushing 23 times for 105 yards. The performance pushed him beyond 1,000 career rushing yards against Chicago and improved his record against the Bears to 16-2.
Carson Wentz started at quarterback while Kyler Murray continued working through the NFL’s concussion protocol. In his 100th career start, Wentz completed 11 of 20 passes for 143 yards, avoided turnovers and improved to 5-0 as a starter against Chicago.
Wentz’s first pass was a 30-yard completion to Justin Jefferson. That reception moved Jefferson ahead of Randy Moss into second place on the Vikings’ career receptions list. Jefferson finished with three catches for 55 yards.
The Vikings produced only 246 total yards, compared with Chicago’s 297, but Minnesota protected the football and repeatedly stopped the Bears in scoring territory. Chicago committed two turnovers while the Vikings finished without one.
Williams completed 15 of 26 passes for 138 yards before leaving the game. Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted him in the first quarter, while Blake Cashman led Minnesota with 10 tackles and added a sack.
Bagent completed five of nine passes for 54 yards after replacing Williams. He moved the Bears into Minnesota territory during the final minute, but Turner’s game-ending sack prevented Chicago from attempting a final throw toward the end zone.
The victory was Minnesota’s seventh consecutive road win against the Bears, tying a franchise record for consecutive road victories over a divisional opponent. The Vikings previously won seven straight road games against Detroit from 1968 through 1974 and seven straight at Green Bay from 1971 through 1977.
Minnesota also opened a season with two victories for the first time since 2024. Both wins have come against NFC North opponents.
The Vikings will travel to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the Chicago game that he expected Murray could clear the concussion protocol early in the week.
Chicago fell to 1-1 and will host the Philadelphia Eagles on September 28. The severity of Williams’ hamstring injury remained under evaluation following Sunday’s game.
STAY CONNECTED TO MINNEAPOLIMEDIA
Local stories matter. Subscribe free to MinneapoliMedia and receive independent news, community reporting and important updates from Minneapolis, the North Metro and communities across Minnesota.
SUBSCRIBE FREE: https://minneapolimedia.town.news/subscribe
MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life
