The Minnesota Vikings will close out their season on Sunday when they host the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Kickoff is at noon. The game will be televised on Fox with Gus Johnson on play-by-play, Aqib Tallib as analyst and Megan Olivi on the sideline.
It will be the team’s 122nd meeting. Minnesota lead the series 62-57-2 after beating the Bears 17-9 on Dec. 20 at Soldier Field.
The first game in Vikings franchise history was against the Bears at Metropolitan Stadium and it was a spectacular start for the home team as Minnesota was a 37-13 winner over Papa Bear Hallas’s Chicago team.
Kicker Mike Mercer recorded the first points in team history with a 12-yard field goal in the first quarter.
Bob Schnelker scored the first touchdown, catching a 14-yard pass from rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who had replaced starter George Shaw.
Tarkenton would finish 17-for-23 passing for 250 yards and four touchdowns. In addition to the scoring pass to Schnelker, Tarkenton threw TD passes of 29 yards to Jerry Reichow, two yards to Hugh McElhenny and another two-yarder to Dave Middleton.
Tarkenton also ran two yards for a touchdown.
On TV that day, 1961, CBS Sports broadcast the first remote 15-minute pre-game show, the first of its kind on network sports television. Pro Football Kickoff originated from stadiums around the country with a comprehensive look at all the day's games.
At the time, CBS used pooled video and split audio feeds with the same announcing crew following a team for the entire season.
That means fans in the Minnesota market heard Herb Carneal and Clayton Tonnemaker call the game, while Chicago area viewers heard Red Grange and George Connor.
Carneal would join the Minnesota Twins radio broadcast team with Ray Scott and Halsey Hall.
Stat of the Week
C Garrett Bradbury had a 21-yard reception at Green Bay last week, the longest in team history by an offensive lineman and the third-longest in NFL history.
Other offensive linemen with catches for the Vikings were Ron Yary with a 5-yard reception vs. Green Bay in 1980, John Gerak with a 3-yards catch vs. Tampa Bay in 1995 and John Ward with a 1-yard reception vs. Green Bay in 1973.
Atlanta’s Ty Sambrailo had a 35-yard reception vs. Tampa Bay in 2019 and Cincinnati’s Jake Fisher had a 31-yard catch vs. San Diego in 2015.
Stat of the Week part deu
Justin Jefferson is 124 receiving yards away from breaking the franchise single-season receiving yards mark.
The top five in team history:
1632, Randy Moss, 2003
1509, Justin Jefferson, 2021
1437, Randy Moss, 2000
1413, Randy Moss, 1999
1400, Justin Jefferson, 2020
Notable
K Greg Joseph made his seventh field goal of 50-plus yards, good for second-most in a single season in franchise history. Blair Walsh had 10 in 2012. Also, the 51-yarder at Green Bay is longest in history in January at Lambeau Field.
The two longest plays in Vikings history have come vs. the Bears. QB Gus Frerotte threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to WR Bernard Berrian on Nov. 30, 2008 and QB Fran Tarkenton had an 89-yard TD pass to WR Charley Ferguson on Nov. 11, 1962 at Wrigley Field.
The Vikings and Bears have played five overtime games, with Minnesota holding a 4-1 advantage in those games.
The first time
After watching the Vikings-Bears game on CBS in the afternoon of Sept. 17, 1961 viewers may have switched to NBC to watch the series premier of ‘Car 54 Where are You?’
The number one movie in the country was ‘Come September’ starring Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Sandra Dee, Joel Grey, Bobby Darin and Walter Slezak.
The top song in the U.S. was ‘Take Good Care of my Baby’ by Fargo’s Bobby Vee.
Scores
Vikings lead series 62-57-2
09-17-1961: Minnesota Vikings 37, Chicago Bears 13
12-17-1961: Chicago Bears 52, Minnesota Vikings 35
10-07-1962: Chicago Bears 13, Minnesota Vikings 0
11-11-1962: Chicago Bears 31, Minnesota Vikings 30
09-22-1963: Chicago Bears 28, Minnesota Vikings 7
09-20-1964: Chicago Bears 34, Minnesota Vikings 28
12-13-1964: Minnesota Vikings 41, Chicago Bears 14
10-17-1965: Chicago Bears 45, Minnesota Vikings 37
12-19-1965: Minnesota Vikings 24, Chicago Bears 17
10-02-1966: Chicago Bears 13, Minnesota Vikings 10
12-18-1966: Chicago Bears 41, Minnesota Vikings 28
10-01-1967: Chicago Bears 17, Minnesota Vikings 7
12-10-1967: Minnesota Vikings 10, Chicago Bears 10 (tie)
09-29-1968: Chicago Bears 27, Minnesota Vikings 17
10-27-1968: Chicago Bears 26, Minnesota Vikings 24
10-12-1969: Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 0
11-02-1969: Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 14
10-11-1970: Minnesota Vikings 24, Chicago Bears 0
12-05-1970: Minnesota Vikings 16, Chicago Bears 13
09-26-1971: Chicago Bears 20, Minnesota Vikings 17
12-19-1971: Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 10
10-23-1972: Chicago Bears 13, Minnesota Vikings 10
12-03-1972: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 10
09-23-1973: Minnesota Vikings 22, Chicago Bears 13
11-25-1973: Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 13
09-29-1974: Minnesota Vikings 11, Chicago Bears 7
11-03-1974: Minnesota Vikings 17, Chicago Bears 0
10-05-1975: Minnesota Vikings 28, Chicago Bears 3
10-27-1975: Minnesota Vikings 13, Chicago Bears 9
10-10-1976: Minnesota Vikings 20, Chicago Bears 19
10-31-1976: Chicago Bears 14, Minnesota Vikings 13
10-16-1977: Minnesota Vikings 22, Chicago Bears 16 (OT)
11-20-1977: Chicago Bears 10, Minnesota Vikings 7
09-25-1978: Minnesota Vikings 24, Chicago Bears 20
11-12-1978: Minnesota Vikings 17, Chicago Bears 14
09-09-1979: Chicago Bears 26, Minnesota Vikings 7
10-21-1979: Minnesota Vikings 30, Chicago Bears 27
09-21-1980: Minnesota Vikings 34, Chicago Bears 14
10-12-1980: Minnesota Vikings 13, Chicago Bears 7
10-04-1981: Minnesota Vikings 24, Chicago Bears 21
12-06-1981: Chicago Bears 10, Minnesota Vikings 9
11-28-1982: Minnesota Vikings 35, Chicago Bears 7
10-09-1982: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 14
11-28-1982: Minnesota Vikings 35, Chicago Bears 7
10-09-1983: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 14
12-11-1983: Chicago Bears 19, Minnesota Vikings 13
10-28-1984: Chicago Bears 16, Minnesota Vikings 7
11-25-1984: Chicago Bears 34, Minnesota Vikings 3
09-19-1985: Chicago Bears 33, Minnesota Vikings 24
10-27-1985: Chicago Bears 27, Minnesota Vikings 9
10-05-1986: Chicago Bears 23, Minnesota Vikings 0
10-19-1986: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 7
10-11-1987: Chicago Bears 27, Minnesota Vikings 7
12-06-1987: Chicago Bears 30, Minnesota Vikings 24
09-19-1988: Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 7
12-19-1988: Minnesota Vikings 28, Chicago Bears 27
09-17-1989: Chicago Bears 38, Minnesota Vikings 7
12-03-1989: Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 16
09-23-1990: Chicago Bears 19, Minnesota Vikings 16
11-25-1990: Minnesota Vikings 41, Chicago Bears 13
09-01-1991: Chicago Bears 10, Minnesota Vikings 6
11-11-1991: Chicago Bears 34, Minnesota Vikings 17
10-04-1992: Minnesota Vikings 21, Chicago Bears 20
11-02-1992: Minnesota Vikings 38, Chicago Bears 10
09-12-1993: Minnesota Vikings 10, Chicago Bears 7
10-25-1993: Minnesota Vikings 19, Chicago Bears 12
09-18-1994: Minnesota Vikings 42, Chicago Bears 14
12-01-1994: Minnesota Vikings 33, Chicago Bears 27 (OT)
01-01-1995: Chicago Bears 35, Minnesota Vikings 18 (NFC Wild Card Game)
09-03-1995: Chicago Bears 31, Minnesota Vikings 14
10-30-1995: Chicago Bears 14, Minnesota Vikings 6
09-15-1996: Minnesota Vikings 20, Chicago Bears 14
10-28-1996: Chicago Bears 15, Minnesota Vikings 13
09-07-1997: Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 24
11-09-1997: Minnesota Vikings 29, Chicago Bears 22
09-27-1998: Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 28
12-06-1998: Minnesota Vikings 48, Chicago Bears 22
10-10-1999: Chicago Bears 24, Minnesota Vikings 22
11-14-1999: Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 24 (OT)
09-03-2000: Minnesota Vikings 30, Chicago Bears 27
10-15-2000: Minnesota Vikings 28, Chicago Bears 16
09-23-2001: Chicago Bears 17, Minnesota Vikings 10
11-25-2001: Chicago Bears 13, Minnesota Vikings 6
09-08-2002: Chicago Bears 27, Minnesota Vikings 23
10-27-2002: Minnesota Vikings 25, Chicago Bears 7
09-14-2003: Minnesota Vikings 24, Chicago Bears 13
12-14-2003: Chicago Bears 13, Minnesota Vikings 10
09-26-2004: Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 22
12-05-2004: Chicago Bears 24, Minnesota Vikings 14
10-16-2005: Chicago Bears 28, Minnesota Vikings 3
01-01-2006: Minnesota Vikings 34, Chicago Bears 10
09-24-2006: Chicago Bears 19, Minnesota Vikings 16
12-03-2006: Chicago Bears 23, Minnesota Vikings 13
10-14-2007: Minnesota Vikings 34, Chicago Bears 31
12-17-2007: Minnesota Vikings 20, Chicago Bears 13
10-19-2008: Chicago Bears 48, Minnesota Vikings 41
11-30-2008: Minnesota Vikings 34, Chicago Bears 14
11-29-2009: Minnesota Vikings 36, Chicago Bears 10
12-28-2009: Chicago Bears 36, Minnesota Vikings 30 (OT)
11-14-2010: Chicago Bears 27, Minnesota Vikings 13
12-20-2010: Chicago Bears 40, Minnesota Vikings 14
10-16-2011: Chicago Bears 39, Minnesota Vikings 10
01-01-2012: Chicago Bears 17, Minnesota Vikings 13
11-25-2012: Chicago Bears 28, Minnesota Vikings 10
12-09-2012: Minnesota Vikings 21, Chicago Bears 14
09-15-2013: Chicago Bears 31, Minnesota Vikings 30
12-01-2013: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 20 (OT)
11-16-2014: Chicago Bears 21, Minnesota Vikings 13
12-28-2014: Minnesota Vikings 13, Chicago Bears 9
11-01-2015: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 20
12-20-2015: Minnesota Vikings 38, Chicago Bears 17
10-31-2016: Chicago Bears 20, Minnesota Vikings 10
01-01-2017: Minnesota Vikings 38, Chicago Bears 17
10-09-2017: Minnesota Vikings 20, Chicago Bears 17
12-31-2017: Minnesota Vikings 23, Chicago Bears 10
11-18-2018: Chicago Bears 25, Minnesota Vikings 20
12-30-2018: Chicago Bears 24, Minnesota Vikings 10
09-29-2019: Chicago Bears 16, Minnesota Vikings 6
12-29-2019: Chicago Bears 21, Minnesota Vikings 19
11-16-2020: Minnesota Vikings 19, Chicago Bears 13
12-20-2020: Chicago Bears 33, Minnesota Vikings 27
12-21-2021: Minnesota Vikings 17, Chicago Bears 9
Points scored: Minnesota Vikings 2520, Chicago Bears 2357