Dec. 29--MINNEAPOLIS -- The feeling of deja vu was inescapable for anyone who followed this mess of a Bears season.
Cornerback Tim Jennings trailed in pursuit as the ball settled into Adam Thielen's arms. Another blown coverage. Another touchdown. Another loss.
It probably was fitting that the decisive score in the Bears' season-ending, 13-9 loss to the Vikings resulted from a defensive breakdown -- and a repeated one.
On first-and-10 early in the third quarter, Jennings passed Thielen off to no one, leaving Thielen wide open down the right sideline for a 44-yard touchdown.
"Miscommunication, blown coverage on my part," he said. "That's all on me."
Jennings said he played Cover-2 when he should have been playing Cover-3. That's the same mistake he made against the Packers in Week 10, when Aaron Rodgers turned a third-and-11 into a 73-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson.
In the grand scheme of things, the Bears left Minnesota with much bigger problems. The organization is in disarray, and nothing that happened during 60 minutes of football Sunday would have changed that.
But Jennings' recurring mistake epitomized why the Bears allowed more points this season (442) than every team but the Raiders (452).
It marred an otherwise solid performance by the defense. Actually, the defense was effective in each of the Bears' last three games. If it had received any help from the offense, perhaps the Bears wouldn't have finished the year with five straight losses.
"We held them to 13 points -- we expect to win games like that," defensive end Jared Allen said. "In those types of games, you have to outplay their defense."
The Bears almost did with a big play on the series before Jennings' breakdown.
Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller recorded his fourth interception when Cordarrelle Patterson bobbled a pass and deflected it into Fuller's arms. Fuller caught it at the Vikings' 40-yard line and returned it into the end zone.
Referees ruled it a touchdown, but a video review changed the call to down-by-contact at the 9.
True to form, the Bears' offense gained only 2 yards on three plays and had to settle for a field goal.
That gave the Bears a 6-3 lead, which they handed back on the ensuing possession. It prevented them from finding much satisfaction in a fourth-and-1 stand at their 3-yard line in the final three minutes.
"This isn't a moral victory league," Allen said. "We don't take things into the offseason. We've got to win. That's the bottom line."
