MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings capped the 2016 regular season with a 38-10 defeat of the Bears on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Sam Bradford capped his first season in Minnesota with a 25-of-33 passing performance for 250 yards with three touchdowns, but did throw one interception. The tally made Bradford 395-of-552 on the year and locked up the NFL record for single-season completion percentage at 71.6, breaking a mark of 71.2 set by Drew Brees in 2011.
Bradford's top target was tight end Kyle Rudolph, who had 11 catches for 117 yards and a score.
Minnesota's defense and special teams forced five turnovers, and Everson Griffen scored on a 20-yard return of a fumble forced by Linval Joseph when Joseph and Danielle Hunter sacked Matt Barkley in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings (8-8) took an early lead and capitalized on multiple Bears turnovers for a 24-10 edge at halftime.
Bradford opened the game ablaze, going 8-for-8 for 106 yards in the first quarter that included a 39-yarder down the sideline to Cordarrelle Patterson and a 16-yard touchdown on a short pass to Jerick McKinnon.
The Bears (3-13) drove to the Minnesota 16-yard line on their first possession, but it ended when Xavier Rhodes picked off Barkley at the goal line.
The Vikings then put together a 93-yard drive that lasted 7:33 and ended with a 21-yard field goal by Kai Forbath.
Chicago's Jeremy Langford fumbled two plays later, and Anthony Harris recovered it for the Vikings at the Bears 35-yard line.
Bradford connected with Kyle Rudolph for 13 yards before finding the tight end on a 22-yard touchdown and 17-0 lead. The score was Rudolph's 29th of his career and team-best seventh of the season. He broke Steve Jordan's record of 28 scores by a Vikings tight end.
Chicago scratched the scoreboard with a dose of trickery late in the second quarter with a direct snap to Langford, a handoff to Cameron Meredith and an easy toss to Barkley. It was Barkley's first career touchdown reception and the punctuation of a 17-play, 85-yard drive that lasted 7:56.
The Bears forced a punt on the Vikings next possession, but Bralon Addison muffed it, and the Vikings recovered at the Chicago 21.
Bradford had completions of 11 to Rudolph and 7 to Adam Thielen before completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright — the receiver's first score since Dec. 21, 2014.
A 64-yard kickoff return by Deonte Thompson set up a 29-yard field goal at the end of the first half.
Trae Waynes added an interception — his third of the season — in the third quarter, and Griffen's score gave Minnesota its seventh return touchdown of the season.
