Nov. 17--Ryan Mundy was on his proper landmark when the ball took flight. Positioning, communication and execution have been problems for the Bears' defense this season, but not on the last meaningful play of their 21-13 victory over the Vikings on Sunday at Soldier Field.
The Bears safety was deep in Cover-2 zone when rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater launched a pass into the end zone. On second-and-2 from the Bears' 28-yard line with about a minute remaining, it was a risky, ambitious try for a touchdown. But there was Mundy, positioned to make a play the Bears sorely needed.
"I just read the quarterback and said, 'Catch the ball,' " Mundy recalled.
He did, and the defense exhaled. They could celebrate an uplifting performance after two straight games in which they allowed at least 51 points.
The Bears surrendered a season-low 243 yards -- 48 of them on a fake punt -- in ending their three-game losing streak.
They contained a punchless offense led by Bridgewater, whose growing pains were obvious. That counts as a significant accomplishment, though, considering how mistake-prone the Bears were during their skid.
"I think we can build off this," said cornerback Tim Jennings, who covered intended receiver Charles Johnson on Mundy's interception. "If we just play our game -- fundamentally sound and disciplined football -- we've got a good chance of just making teams beat us instead of giving them games."
Their foundation was a strong run defense. The Vikings rushed for only 48 yards on 15 carries. Rookie Jerick McKinnon averaged 4.8 yards on eight carries, almost his season yards-per-carry average, but the Vikings failed to sustain drives.
"I think we did a really good job up front ... making them one-dimensional," defensive end Willie Young said.
Bridgewater turned out to be an easy assignment for the Bears after consecutive games against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
He occasionally bailed out the Bears with indecisiveness reading coverages. He was 18-for-28 passing for 158 yards, a touchdown and the final interception.
"I think he's going to be good in the future," Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff said. "You can see that he's still learning."
The Bears' pass rush and coverage worked in concert as well as they had since the Week 6 win over the Falcons.
Cornerbacks got their hands on Vikings receivers in front of the two deep safeties. Jared Allen and Young each had a sack, and the Bears were credited with five quarterback hits.
And when the defense held the Vikings to a missed field goal after quarterback Jay Cutler's interception in the third quarter, it took a step forward from the embarrassments in New England and Green Bay.
The blank stares and empty explanations that followed those were replaced by smiles.
"Winning fixes everything," Allen said. "When you win, it's a positive atmosphere. You're building off it. You carry that momentum into this next week."
rcampbell@tribpub.com
Twitter @Rich_Campbell
