Offense
OFFENSIVE LINE
Olin Kreutz handled nose tackle Pat Williams and the line keyed 154 rushing yards, the 10th time in the last 11 games with at least 115 rushing yards.
Grade: B
RECEIVERS
Justin Gage caught six passes for 67 yards and the Bears’ only TD. Eddie Berlin caught his first two of the season, but the Bears made little use of passing game.
Grade: C-
QUARTERBACK
Kyle Orton’s return to the starting lineup was inauspicious. Jeff Blake completed 7 of 8 and engineered a TD drive.
Grade: C
RUNNING BACKS
Thomas Jones joined Walter Payton as the only backs to rush for 1,300 yards in Bears history. Adrian Peterson accounted for 65 yards. Cedric Benson played well in his return.
Grade: A-
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter Brad Maynard’s execution of a screen pass was faultless, but protection breakdown got a punt blocked. Rashied Davis averaged 23.8 yards on six kickoff returns.
Grade: C-
COACHING
Choices were made to forget records and go for healthy players in the playoffs. The game got completely away when the Vikings left their starters in against the Bears’ backups.
Grade: B
Defense
SECONDARY
Woeful tackling sprung Michael Bennett for a 61-yard TD run and Brad Johnson picked apart a lackluster secondary.
Grade: D-
LINEBACKERS
Starters played little. Leon Joe led all tacklers with seven solos, and Jeremy Cain added six. Impact plays were missing.
Grade: C-
DEFENSIVE LINE
Dominated early even without two starters. Israel Idonije batted down a pass. Poor tackling in the second half hurt.
Grade: D
