Chicago cruises to 28-3 win over Minnesota

By J.E. | Sunday, October 16, 2005 | ( 0 )

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The Chicago Bears finally got some production from their offense as they topped the Minnesota Vikings 28-3 in an important NFC North matchup. The Bears' record improves to 2-3 and moves them into a first-place tie with Detroit. The Vikings drop to the bottom of the heap at 1-4.

Thomas Jones, who was listed as questionable coming into this game due to a mildly sprained knee, felt well enough to start. He ended up leading all rushers with 89 yards and 2 touchdowns on 23 carries. With the way Jones is playing, he's making it hard for the Bears coaching staff to justify giving first-round draft pick RB Cedric Benson very many touches. Benson carried the ball just 3 times for 2 yards on Sunday.

Quarterback Kyle Orton continued his inconsistent play in place of the injured Rex Grossman. Orton had some success today, as he connected with TE Desmond Clark for 2 TDs. It wasn't all good news for Bears fans, however. Orton still looked shaky and unsure at times. He missed open receivers with some poorly thrown passes and fumbled twice. Orton was 16-of-25 for 117 yards on the day. He also threw one interception to go along with his 2 TD passes.

The Minnesota Vikings dismal season got even worse with this loss. The Daunte Culpepper-led offense looked inept and had trouble moving the ball all game long. The Culpepper who passed for 4,717 yards and 39 touchdowns just a year ago is a distant memory. Today, he completed 26 out of 48 passes for 237 yards. And, as has been so common all year long, Culpepper tossed two picks while failing to find the end zone. He now leads the league with 12 interceptions in 5 games.

Running back Mewelde Moore didn't give Culpepper much help on the ground. Moore gained just 57 yards on 14 carries. He also chipped in 52 receiving yards.

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