There was a lot of talk about records, potential job firings and regular season disappointment heading into the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 18 showdown with the visiting Chicago Bears.
But once the coaches grabbed their clipboards and the players got between the numbers, it was just another day of football that ended in a 31-17 victory for Minnesota.
The team didn’t even come alive until the fourth quarter, when things tightened up along the offensive front and quarterback Kirk Cousins started hitting throws downfield. They scored three touchdowns in the final quarter after going the entire first half of the game with only a field goal.
No, there’s no tomorrow for this team as far as the postseason is concerned, but in many ways, Sunday’s game did feel like a much-needed moral victory for the franchise. Hope is still on the horizon for what remains one of the more talented rosters in the league.
There weren’t many losers in the season finale, but there were plenty of winners.
