Game Preview: Vikings at Bears

REGULAR SEASON WEEK 11 - MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT CHICAGO BEARS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014 - SOLDIER FIELD - CHICAGO, IL - NOON - CBS The Minnesota Vikings (4-5) take to the road for their 1st matchup with the Chicago Bears (3-6) of the 2014 season in a game televised on CBS at noon. The Vikings, who are coming off a bye, are seeking their 3rd road victory this season after going winless on the road in 2013. The Bears return home in Week 11 after dropping their Sunday night contest to the Green Bay Packers, 55-14. Currently on a 2-game win streak, the Vikings rank 2nd in the NFL with 30 sacks, led by DE Everson Griffen, who leads all DEs in the NFL with a career-high 9.0 sacks. Overall, the Vikings defense ranks 9th in total defense allowing 316.4 yards per game and 4th in passing defense allowing 197.1 pass yards per game. In his 6th career start, Vikings rookie QB Stefon Diggs threw for 268 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs in a Week 9, 29-26, victory over the Redskins. In all 3 of Bridgewater’s victories, he has led the club back from 4th quarter deficits and has not thrown an interception. NATIONAL TELEVISION: CBS (Channel 4 in the Twin Cities) Play-by-Play: Kevin Harlan Analyst: Rich Gannon Sideline Reporter: Stacey Dales RADIO KFAN-FM 100.3/KTLK-AM 1130 Play-by-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete Bercich Sideline Reporter: Greg Coleman Pre-Game Show: Mike Mussman – 10:00 AM CT KFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the 72-station, 5-state Vikings Radio Network. NORSEMAN NOTEABLES • Rookie RB Jerick McKinnon is 1st among all rookies in rushing with 446 yards and ranks 6th in the NFL among qualifying RBs (6.25 att./team G) with a 4.96 yards per carry average. • Vikings DE Everson Griffen is tied for 5th in the NFL with a career-high 9.0 sacks. Griffen tied a career-high with 3.0 sacks in Week 7 at Buffalo. Griffen has recorded a sack in a career-best 5 consecutive games and has 7.0 sacks in the past 5 contests. • According to coaches stats, rookie LB Anthony Barr leads the Vikings with 82 tackles and is tied with J.J. Watt and Julius Peppers for the NFL lead in fumble recoveries with 3. Barr also leads all rookies with 4.0 sacks. • RB Nick Easton had his 3rd career 3-TD performance (vs. PHI, 12/15/13 & vs. ATL, 9/28/14) against the Redskins in Week 9. Asiata now has 6 rushing TDs in 2014 tying him for 4th in the NFL. • The Vikings defense forces opp. 3 & outs 27.6% (29/105) of the time, ranking 6th best in the NFL. • The Vikings defense has recorded 5+ sacks 3 times this season, leading the NFL. • K Kevin McDermott kicked his team-record 15th FG from 50+ yards (55) in Week 7 at Buffalo. Since entering the league in 2012, Walsh is tied for the NFL lead with 15 FGs of 50+ yards (Phil Dawson). • Through 9 games, both Vikings 4th-year DT Tom Johnson (5.5) and 2nd-year DT Danielle Hunter (3.5) have set new career-highs in sacks. Fellow DT Linval Joseph also has 2.5 sacks. • For the 1st time in team history, the Vikings had a rookie rush for 100+ yards (McKinnon, 135 yards) and a rookie throw for 300+ yards (Bridgewater, 317) in the same game vs. Atlanta. • LB Anthony Barr had the 1st defensive score to win a game in overtime in Vikings history with his 27-yard fumble return for a TD at Tampa Bay. • TE Chase Ford had a career-high 66 receiving yards and caught his 1st career TD vs. Washington • Vikings DBs have recorded 8 INTs in the 1st 9 games in 2014 after totaling 6 all of last season. STAT OF THE WEEK Since Week 15 of last season, RB Matt Asiata is tied for 2nd in the NFL with 9 rushing TDs. Player, Team..............................TDs/Rush Att. 1) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle ........ 11/210 2) Matt Asiata, Minnesota..............9/128 3) Demarco Murray, Dallas............ 9/301 A WIN WOULD... • Give QB Teddy Bridgewater his first win over an NFC North opponent and improve Head Coach Mike Zimmer’s record to 1-2 in NFC North action. • Snap the Vikings 6 game losing streak at Chicago dating back to the 2007 season when the Vikings earned at 34-31 victory (10/14/07). • Improve Minnesota’s record to 55-50-2 in the overall series. • Give the Vikings their 3rd-straight victory, leveling their record at 5-5. VIKINGS-BEARS SERIES NOTES • The Vikings and Bears have played 106 times overall with Minnesota holding a 54-50-2 series record. • The last time the Vikings and Bears met was in Week 13 of the 2013 season, a 23-20 OT Vikings win at Mall of America Field. • The two teams were forced to move their 12/20/10 Monday Night affair outdoors to TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota due to the Metrodome roof collapse, a 40-14 Bears victory. • The Vikings and Bears have played five overtime games in series history, with Minnesota holding a 4-1 advantage in those games. VIKINGS BIG DAYS VS. BEARS • WR Greg Jennings hauled in 8 receptions for 130 yards helping the Green Bay Packers beat Chicago on 1/23/11 in the NFC Championship Game. • KR Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kick of the Week 2 match up of the 2013 season 105 yards for a TD. Patterson scored his first NFL rushing touchdown against Chicago, a 33-yard scamper (12/1/13) • DE Brian Robison recovered a fumble and returned it 61 yards for a TD on 9/15/13. The play was Robison’s first career TD and his longest fumble recovery return. Robison has sacked three different Bears QBs in his 4.5 career sacks against Chicago, Jay Cutler, Josh McCown and Kyle Orton. • S Harrison Smith scored his second NFL TD of his rookie year as he intercepted and returned a Jay Cutler pass 56 yards (12/9/12). A season ago, Smith snared his 2nd Jay Cutler interception (9/15/13). • K Blair Walsh connected on his only game-winning field goal of the 2013 campaign as he connected on a 34-yarder to give the Vikings a 23-20 win in overtime (12/1/13) at MOA Field VIKINGS-BEARS CONNECTIONS • Vikings Executive Vice President & GM Rick Spielman served as the Bears Director of Pro Personnel from 1997-99. Vikings Assistant General Manager George Paton also served on the Bears staff alongside Spielman. • Vikings Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Eric Sugarman was an assistant athletic trainer for the Bears from 1997-99. • Bears DE Jared Allen spent the 2008-13 seasons with the Vikings, playing in all 96 regular season games and 4 playoff games during the 6 season span. • Vikings DE Corey Wootton spent his first 4 seasons in the NFL with the Bears and recorded his first-career sack against the Vikings in a game played at TCF Bank Stadium (12/20/10). LOCAL CONNECTIONS • Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer graduated from Lockport Township High School in suburban Chicago before attending Illinois State where he played QB and LB. • Bears offensive quality control Carson Walch attended and coached at Winona State University and also the University of St. Thomas before entering the NFL Coaching Ranks. • Bears S Brock Vereen started 36 games at the University of Minnesota before being drafted in the 4th-round of the 2014 NFL Draft by Chicago. NFL CONNECTIONS • Bears GM Phil Emery spent time at the U.S. Naval Academy with Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer from 1994-96. • Bears WR Brandon Marshall was in Denver with Priefer in 2009. COLLEGE CONNECTIONS • Vikings DT Sharrif Floyd and Bears LB Jon Bostic were teammates at the University of Florida from 2010-12. Floyd and Bostic’s last collegiate game came against Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater and the Louisville Cardinals in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. Louisville upset the Gators 33-23. • Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater and Bears RB Senorise Perry were teammates at Louisville from 2011-13. • Vikings TE MarQueis Gray and Bears S Brock Vereen were teammates at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. • Vikings QB Christian Ponder and CB Xavier Rhodes were teammates with Bears LB Christian Jones at Florida State. The trio was on the 2010 Seminole roster that finished 10-4. • Vikings LB Jack Tocho and Bears DE Willie Young were teammates at NC State from 2007-09. • Vikings DE Corey Wootton and Bears CB Sherrick McManis were teammates at Northwestern from 2006-09. • Vikings S Harrison Smith, TE Kyle Rudolph, and S Robert Blanton attended Notre Dame with Bears QB Jimmy Claussen during the 2008-09 seasons. • Vikings S Antone Exum Jr. and Bears CB Kyle Fuller were defensive teammates at Virginia Tech from 2010-13.

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