The Minnesota Vikings play their final game of the regular season Sunday when they will be in Chicago to play the Bears at Soldier Field.
Kickoff is at noon. The game will be televised on Fox with Kenny Albert on play-by-play, Jonathan Vilma as analyst and Shannon Spake on the sideline.
It’s the latest regular-season road game in team history and the first time the Vikings have played a noon game at Soldier Field since 2015.
The Bears have won five of the last eight games in the series that included four straight wins, but the Vikings lead the series 64-57-2.
Minnesota won the first game in the series and the first game in franchise history when the Vikings stunned the Bears 37-13 at Metropolitan Stadium on Sept. 17, 1961. Chicago won the next five before Minnesota claimed its first victory in the Windy City, 41-14 in the season finale on Dec. 13, 1964.
Bill Brown rushed for 98 yards on 24 carries including a pair of one-yard touchdown runs and he caught three passes for 128 yards that included a 20-yard TD reception from Fran Tarkenton. Linebacker Rip Hawkins scored the other TD on a 29-yard interception return.
Fred Cox kicked field goals of 15 and 32 yards and made five extra points.
The win was the third straight for Minnesota, which finished the season with an 8-5-1 record, the first winning record in the four-year history of the franchise.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has completed 407 passes, the fourth-most in the NFL, and is 19 receptions from his own franchise record for completions in one season.
His 4,322 passing yards this season is second in franchise history behind Daunte Culpepper’s 4,717 in 2004. Cousins is fourth in the NFL this season.
Cousins has set the franchise single-season record for passing attempts with 623, surpassing Warren Moon’s 606 attempts in 1995.
With the Bears as the opponent this week, there’s also this interesting stat to consider:
4,000-yard passing seasons
Kirk Cousins: 7
All Chicago QBs ever (since 1920): 0
Notable
Quarterback Nick Mullens played in his third game this season last week at Green Bay and threw his first touchdown pass as a Viking, the 27th of his career. He threw 25 in 19 games over three seasons with San Francisco and one in his only game for Cleveland in 2021.
Justin Fields will miss Sunday’s game with a strained hip he sustained last Sunday against the Lions. Nathan Peterman will make his first start since 2018 when he played for the Bills against the Bears. Earlier that season Peterman threw five interceptions his first half (including four in his first nine passes) as the Bills' starting quarterback after taking over for Tyrod Taylor.
Rookie wide receiver Jallen Nailer led the Vikings in receiving yards with 89 vs. Green Bay that included a 47-yard touchdown reception, the first of his NFL career.
Defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson sacked Aaron Rodgers to give him 2.5 on the season, 1.0 shy of his career record.
The two longest plays in Vikings history have come vs. the Bears. Gus Frerotte threw a 99-yard touchdown to Bernard Berrian on Nov. 30, 2008; and Fran Tarkenton threw an 89-yard TD to Charley Ferguson on Nov. 11, 1962 at Wrigley Field.
Chicago leads the NFL in rushing this season with 2,896. The Bears are only 78 yards shy of the franchise record of 2,974 set in 1984.
The Vikings and Bears have played five overtime games, with Minnesota leading 4-1 in those games.
The teams have met once in the playoffs with Chicago winning 35-18 in an NFC Wild Card Game on New Year’s Day in 1995.
Scores
The Vikings lead series 64-57-2
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
10-09-2022: Minnesota Vikings 29, Chicago Bears 22
Points scored: Minnesota Vikings 2580, Chicago Bears 2396