The Minnesota Vikings came into their Week 15 Monday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears with a golden opportunity. Thanks to the Detroit Lions losing to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Vikings would control their own destiny with a win against the Bears. This would potentially set up a pivotal Week 18 showdown against the Lions for not only the NFC North crown, but potentially the top seed in the NFC.
It was clear from the very beginning that the Vikings understood the magnitude of their situation, and they came out and immediately established dominance — particularly on defense, the calling card of the team for the past two seasons. The Vikings forced an early turnover on downs on the Bears’ first possession of the game, and then forced a Caleb Williams fumble on the second possession.
It wasn’t always a clean game for the Vikings, as the offense once again stalled out during the middle of the game, but Minnesota ultimately came out on top against their division rivals, pushing their current win streak to seven games and giving them a 12-2 record overall. As we head into a rare Victory Tuesday, here are your Studs and Duds from the Week 15 win.