Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) celebrates his fumble recovery against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) rushes for a first down agains the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates his first down run against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings guard Henry Byrd (68) tackles Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) from behind forcing a fumble in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) picks up the Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) fumble in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches a touchdown pass against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his touchdown catch against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings place kicker Will Reichard (16) lines up his 52 yard field goal against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) intercepts a pass from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) in the second quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) leaps high to catch a pass as Chicago Bears cornerback Terell Smith (32) looks on in the second quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes the ball against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) runs out of bounds after a first down catch to stop the clock with less than a minute to go in the second quarter as Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) gives him a push in a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)A Chicago Bears fan doesn’t look happy as his team is down to the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) chases Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) dives into end zone against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) jumps up to cheering fans after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches a pass for a first down near the goal line as Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) tries to defend in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) celebrates his sack of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the fourth quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (27) center, is congratulated on his touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) looks for a little running room against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) points to the sky after the Vikings 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears in a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Show Caption1 of 22Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) celebrates his fumble recovery against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Expand Everything the Vikings want to accomplish is right in front of them. After clinching a playoff berth over the weekend, the Vikings earned the right to set their sights on taking back the NFC North Division, a pursuit that started with the game against the Chicago Bears on Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. In front of a national audience, the Vikings took care of business with an impressive 30-12 win over the Bears, making a statement about themselves in the process. The win also pulled the Vikings (12-2) even with the Detroit Lions (12-2) in the NFC North with three weeks to go. Not that head coach Kevin O’Connell wants his players to look too far down the road. “We’re going to continue to just try to get better,” O’Connell said. “The whole mantra of getting better and getting better is a consistent everyday thing.” The message has been heard loud and clear. “It means everything is out in front of us,” right tackle Brian O’Neill said. “We know where we’re at, and we know what the stakes are. It’s a good motivator knowing what’s out there for us to take. I think everybody is going to buckle down and put their foot on the gas and hopefully finish these next few weeks really strong.” The vibes couldn’t have been much better for the Vikings to start the game. After honoring legendary receiver Randy Moss before kickoff with a very special moment featuring former teammates Cris Carter and Jake Reed, the Vikings immediately forced a turnover on downs when edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery combined to stuff a run for no gain. That put the Vikings in good field position, and while they stalled out after a few plays, Will Reichard connected on a 52-yard field goal to make it 3-0. On the next possession, Greenard made his presence felt again, sacking Williams to force a fumble, which was recovered by linebacker Blake Cashman. Asked about the play after the game, Greenard replied, “A strip sack is the best feeling in the world.” This time around the Vikings took advantage of the good field position with Sam Darnold throwing a touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson to extend the lead to 10-0. Not long after that, Darnold uncorked a pass downfield, and it seemed as if the Vikings were about to run away with the game. Instead, Jefferson dropped a surefire touchdown pass near the goal line, taking the blame by patting his chest and holding his hand up in the air as soon as it happened. It got worse from there, as head coach Kevin O’Connell left the offense on the field on fourth down only to have Darnold throw his first interception in more than a month. Luckily for the Vikings, the defense continued to dominate, forcing another turnover on downs, leading to Reichard nailing a 31-yard field goal to make it 13-0 at halftime. Just when it looked like running back D’Andre Swift had plunged into the end zone to give the Bears some life after halftime, the touchdown got wiped off the board because of an illegal substitution. A few plays later, the Bears had to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Cairo Santos to cut the deficit to 13-3. That’s when the Vikings took complete control. They put together a 12-play, 70-yard drive, relying heavily on the ground game before Aaron Jones plunged into the end zone to make it 20-3. After the Bears settled for a 39-yard field goal from Santos to make it 20-6, the Vikings put the game away for good when running back Cam Akers plowed his way into the end zone to stretch the lead to 27-6. As the game wound to a close, the Vikings pulled most of their starters, which allowed Williams to throw a touchdown pass to Keenan Allen to cut the deficit to 27-12. In the final minutes, Reichard tacked on a 46-yard field goal for good measure to finalize the score at 30-12. “They didn’t score a touchdown until late in the game, so that’s a win for us on defense,” safety Cam Bynum said. “Just being able to hold them without a touchdown is the goal every single time.” What did the win mean to the Vikings in the immediate aftermath? “It’s a great feeling,” Greenard said. “We all understand what we’re still chasing after. We’re not going to look too far ahead. We’re just going to continue to look at it week by week with a 1-0 mentality.” That’s exactly what O’Connell is asking of his players. “You can never, ever rest in this league because everybody’s improving,” O’Connell said. “The great teams in this league are going to play their best football towards the end of this month and on into  the next. We want to be one of those teams. We know we’re going to have to go earn every single thing.” Related Articles Minnesota Vikings | Vikings officially clinch playoff berth, set their sights on NFC North crown Minnesota Vikings | The moment everything changed for Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold Minnesota Vikings | Vikings vs. Bears: What to know ahead of Monday night’s matchup Minnesota Vikings | Vikings expected to make quick work of reeling Bears Minnesota Vikings | The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 15: Last-minute moves