Week 15 Players of the Game: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Craig Williams |

Dec 21, 2021

Nov 1, 2020; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end D.J. Wonnum (98) causes Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) to fumble during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

A win is a win and I will not complain about it. It was a much-needed result on the road in the Windy City. The Chicago Bears had nothing going on offense and, quite frankly, neither did the Vikings. Dalvin Cook was the lone bright spot on that side of the ball. The Viking defense was able to create 3 turnovers and 3 4^th-down stops. That was the difference in the game and the team cruised to a 17-9 win. The team is now in the 7^th slot for the NFC playoffs; however, they have a tough schedule that includes the Rams and Packers, which is to say nothing of the several teams competing for the final spot.`

DJ Wonnum

Wonnum had 3 sacks and another pressure on Justin Fields. He looked hungry and fast. Wonnum also led the team in total tackles with 8, a rare feat for a DE. Wonnum has not had the consistency you would like to see, but this was a good game. His first sack occurred as the Bear were driving to get their first score. He essentially ended their chances at getting a TD right before half. His second sack was the first drive of the second half. That led to a 3^rd and 25 and another short drive for the Bears. His final sack was at the end of the 3^rd quarter on a 4^th and 1. Turnover on downs. These weren’t garbage-time sacks; these were pivotal plays.

Over the past five weeks, 16 NFL players have recorded at least 18 pressures (per PFF).

The Vikings have three of them: D.J. Wonnum, Sheldon Richardson, and Armon Watts. That trio has really stepped up in the absence of Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 21, 2021

Sheldon Richardson

Richardson’s big play was midway through the 2^nd quarter. The Bears were down 10-0 and driving. Richardson took the ball away from David Montgomery like stealing candy from a baby. The refs called Montgomery down by contact, but Richardson convinced Zimmer to challenge. The challenge was clear and stopped the Bears from getting an almost guaranteed 3 points, if not more. He added another tackle for a loss later in the game. He was all over the field and a key in keeping the Bears offense down.

Purple PTSD Also Read: J.C. Tretter is Still a Free Agent

Dalvin Cook

The box score for Cook is not impressive. 28 carries for 89 yards and 2 catches for 2 yards. However, that is nearly half the Vikings’ offensive yards. Cook received no help from the OL or the meager passing game. Cook worked for every yard he got and was the only positive about the offense all night.

Dalvin Tomlinson

Tomlinson does a lot of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. In fact, his only entry in the box score is a blocked kick, a massive play considering the score. After an interception in the two-minute drill from Kirk, the Bears had a short field. The defense forced a 3 and out and the Bears lined up for a 49-yard field goal. Tomlinson got a piece of it and the kick was no good. That kick would’ve made the score 10-6, possibly changing the game. The Bears went for it several times deep in Viking territory and they could’ve settled for FGs if not for the block. Tomlinson also did a superb job up front absorbing blockers and opening things up for Barr, Kendricks, and others to make plays.

Last night was the fifth time the #Vikings have ever won a game in which they ran 60 or more offensive plays and gained fewer than 200 total yards.

The previous four were in 1970, 1971, 1977, and 1979. That was an old-school, physical win.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 21, 2021

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”927778″ player=”26281″ title=”4%20ideal%20Tyler%20Huntley%20landing%20spots%20in%20trade%20with%20the%20Baltimore%20Ravens” duration=”135″ description=”We’re now going to hear a lot more about the status of this dual-threat quarterback heading into the off-season. Tyler Huntley is slated to become an exclusive-rights free agent, meaning that the Ravens will be able to potentially move him in a trade. Here’s a look at four ideal scenarios for the young quarterback.” uploaddate=”2021-12-20″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/snapshot/927649_s_1640024519416.jpg” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/927649/927649.m3u8″]