MINNEAPOLIS _ The Vikings cruised to a 38-10 win over the Chicago Bears in their season finale, finishing their once-promising 2016 season with an 8-8 record.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph had a career game, and quarterback Sam Bradford claimed the NFL's single-season record for completion percentage with another sharp performance. But the mostly meaningless game at U.S. Bank Stadium was upstaged by a dangerous protest above the field.
Early in the second quarter, two protesters were spotted dangling from the rafters after unfurling a large banner urging U.S. Bank to divest from the Dakota Access Pipeline. The game continued as the protesters, one wearing a Brett Favre jersey, twirled above through the final whistle.
That provided more drama than what took place on the field, as a bad Bears team gave the ball away on their first two possessions and five times overall. Matt Barkley, their third-string quarterback at the start of the season, threw a pair of interceptions and coughed up a fumble.
The Vikings scored on their first three possessions to take a 17-0 lead.
On the game's opening drive, Bradford completed a 39-yard strike deep down the right sideline to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Running back Jerick McKinnon then caught a swing pass from Bradford, ran 16 yards and dove to put the ball inside the pylon for the touchdown.
The Bears threatened to answer right back with a touchdown of their own, but Barkley carelessly lobbed a throw into double coverage and it was easily picked off in the end zone by cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
A 21-yard field goal by kicker Kai Forbath increased the lead to 10-0.
After safety Anthony Harris recovered a fumble by Bears running back Jeremy Langford inside Bears territory, Bradford's second touchdown pass, a 22-yarder to Kyle Rudolph, made it 17-0 in the second quarter.
It was Rudolph's 29th career touchdown, the most ever by a Vikings tight end. He also caught 11 passes Sunday, giving him 83 receptions on the season, which set the single-season franchise mark for the position.
The Bears got on the scoreboard with a trick play late in the second quarter. Langford took a direct snap and pitched the ball to wide receiver Cameron Meredith, who threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Barkley.
But the Bears gave the ball away again when Bralon Addison muffed a punt and the Vikings cashed in their third turnover of the half for another touchdown, with Jarius Wright scoring for the first time this season.
In the first half, Bradford was 17-for-22 for 188 yards and three scores. Bradford finished the game with 250 yards on 25-for-33 passing, giving him a record-setting completion percentage of 71.6 on the season.
In the third quarter, the bad-news Bears picked up where they left off. Barkley threw another interception, this one to cornerback Trae Waynes, to put an end to another drive that had entered Vikings territory.
After the Vikings defense stuffed Bears running back Jordan Howard, who had 135 rushing yards Sunday, on 4th and 1, the Vikings put the game away with a 10-yard touchdown run by McKinnon out of the Wildcat.
Defensive end Everson Griffen in the fourth quarter scooped up a Barkley fumble and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown that made it 38-10.
The win was only the Vikings' third in their final 11 games as they became the sixth team since 1990 to not make the playoffs after starting 5-0.
