The Chicago Bears misplaced to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Soldier Field, however they notched a win for his or her future.
The Bears’ 29-13 loss, coupled with the Houston Texans’ 32-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, offers the Bears the No. 1 choose within the 2023 draft. The Bears completed the season 3-14, probably the most losses within the NFL this 12 months and probably the most in franchise historical past. The Houston Texas had been 3-13-1.
The Bears have solely picked No. 1 twice in franchise historical past, utilizing it to draft halfbacks Tom Harmon in 1941 and Bob Fenimore in 1947. They mixed to play 10 video games for the franchise.
With quarterback Justin Fields sidelined by a strained hip, the first outdoors storyline in a sport quarterbacked by each Nathan Peterman and Tim Boyle was whether or not the Bears would lose to safe a better draft choose.
As the Bears left the sector following their last sport of the season, Bears followers and media members had been glued to their Soldier Field suite TVs watching Lovie Smith’s Texans pull off the win.
Texans quarterback Davis Mills hit tight finish Jordan Akins with a 28-yard landing cross on fourth-and-20, and Mills’ two-point conversion cross to Akins was profitable for a 32-31 win.
Vikings beginning quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 225 yards within the first half to construct a 16-6 lead. With backup quarterback Nick Mullens getting into the sport to open the second half, the Vikings went 75 yards for a landing on their first drive of the third quarter. Alexander Mattison scored on a 1-yard landing run and a 23-6 lead.
Peterman, who threw for 114 yards on 11-for-19 passing, hit Cole Kmet with an 11-yard landing cross to chop the Vikings’ result in 23-13.
But Vikings kicker Greg Joseph made a 50-yard subject purpose within the third quarter and a 41-yarder within the fourth to increase the Vikings’ result in 29-13.
The Bears bought two takeaways — a pressured fumble by Harrison Hand and restoration by Joe Thomas and Greg Stroman’s interception of Mullens. But the Bears didn’t rating off both takeaway.
Boyle threw two interceptions, to Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley.
Read extra protection from Soldier Field.
Here’s how Week 18 unfolded.
Inactives introduced
The Bears will likely be with out cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Jones towards the Vikings.
Gordon is inactive due to a groin subject and an sickness. Jones was in concussion protocol all week. Their absences imply the Bears will likely be with out their prime 5 cornerbacks Sunday.
Jaylon Johnson, Kindle Vildor and Josh Blackwell already had been on injured reserve.
The Bears have Harrison Hand, Breon Borders and Michael Ojemudia as choices to fill the three open spots.
As was beforehand introduced, quarterback Justin Fields gained’t play due to a hip pressure. Also inactive for the Bears are operating again Darrynton Evans, linebacker Sterling Weatherford and defensive linemen Terrell Lewis and Angelo Blackson.
For the Vikings, security Harrison Smith, outdoors linebacker Za’Darius Smith, middle Garrett Bradbury, cornerback Cam Dantzler, linebacker Brian Asamoah and defensive linemen James Lynch and Ross Blacklock are inactive.
Halftime: Vikings 16, Bears 6
The Bears fanned followers’ hopes for the No. 1 draft choose within the first half — by falling behind the Vikings 16-6 at halftime.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans, whom the Bears additionally must win, had been beating the Indianapolis Colts 17-7 at halftime.
Against the Bears, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins accomplished 17 of 20 passes for 225 yards and a landing within the half. Bears backup quarterbacks Nathan Peterman and Tim Boyle break up time, throwing for 83 yards complete.
The Vikings took a 6-0 lead on Cousins’ 4-yard landing cross to Adam Thielen, adopted by Greg Joseph’s missed extra-point try, vast proper. One play earlier, Cousins hit Okay.J. Osborn for a 66-yard cross.
The Vikings had been marching down the sector on their subsequent possession when Bears cornerback Harrison Hand pressured Vikings operating again Dalvin Cook to fumble and Bears linebacker Joe Thomas recovered it.
The Bears didn’t rating off the takeaway, and the Vikings responded on the following possession with a 66-yard landing drive, capped by Alexander Mattison’s 1-yard landing run for a 13-0 lead.
Boyle changed Peterman on the next drive and threw an interception to cornerback Patrick Peterson on his third play. Joseph then made a 28-yard subject purpose to place the Vikings forward 16-0.
The Bears scored their solely factors of the half on Velus Jones Jr.’s 42-yard landing run. Boyle’s two-point conversion cross to Cole Kmet failed. Kmet had catches of 17 and 16 yards on the drive.
Jones’ run gave the Bears 2,975 speeding yards for the season, probably the most in franchise historical past, in response to Bears PR.
The Vikings tried to get off a subject purpose proper earlier than halftime, however they had been dominated to have 12 males on the sector, negating Joseph’s 24-yard make.
‘Hail Mary’ in bid to maintain the Bears in Chicago?
While the last-place Bears play out the string in a meaningless residence finale Sunday towards the division-leading Vikings, a developer hoping to maintain the crew in Chicago is upping its sport.
Landmark Development unveiled a video tour Sunday of a “reimagined” Soldier Field, together with expanded seating, premium membership lounges, meals halls and an adjoining live performance venue, topped by a dome to draw fair-weather soccer followers and year-round guests.
“This is a proposal that we think sets a compelling case for a team like the Bears to want to stay at Soldier Field,” mentioned Bob Dunn, president of Landmark Development.
Read the complete story right here.
How do the 2022 Bears evaluate with worst groups in franchise historical past?
The Bears had simply misplaced by 31 factors to a division rival, one in all what would turn into 13 losses within the season. In the Chicago Tribune the following day, the Bears coach was quoted as calling it “one of the darkest and dreariest days in Bear history.”
A little bit greater than 53 years later, the Bears once more misplaced to a division rival by 31 factors, the thirteenth lack of the season. The present coach wasn’t as dramatic as the previous, however he was quoted within the Tribune as saying, “It doesn’t sit well.”
The first coach was Jim Dooley, whose 1969 Bears went 1-13. One of these losses was a 31-0 beating by the Vikings at Wrigley Field, after which Dooley proclaimed himself “bitterly disappointed.” The second was Matt Eberflus, whose present Bears misplaced 41-10 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field to drop to 3-13.
Eberflus wasn’t born but when Dooley’s crew misplaced that October 1969 sport, however the coaches are linked by an unlucky distinction. Along with John Fox’s 2016 Bears, their groups maintain the file for probably the most losses in franchise historical past, a file the present Bears may break Sunday towards the Vikings within the season finale at Soldier Field.
Read the complete story right here.
Virginia McCaskey at 100
Virginia McCaskey turned 100 years outdated Thursday, a milestone birthday for the Bears proprietor. And her ardour for the crew has not dissipated. Matt Eberflus recalled Wednesday the primary cellphone dialog he had with McCaskey rather less than a 12 months in the past when he grew to become the group’s 18th head coach with an essential blessing.
“She said, ‘Matt, you know I’ll be your biggest fan,’ ” Eberflus said. “(She is) always encouraging, always upbeat, always thoughtful. It’s been a joy to get to know her this last year.”
That’s a sentiment shared by so many who’ve crossed McCaskey’s path and are available to acknowledge her competitiveness, perception and allure.
Read the complete story right here.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
