Vikings/Refs Try To Give bears A Victory

The Vikings and refs did what they could to try to give the bears a victory that would have helped the bears’ chances of making the playoffs, but were unsuccessful.  We’ll start with the refs, and then go to the Vikings.

Refs:

1.  With the Vikings up 7-3 with 6:43 to go in the second quarter, the bears had a third-and-8 from their own 22.  If the Vikings would have stopped them, they would have had good field position.  Jeffery ran at the defensive back, gave him a hard straight-arm to the face, pushing him out of the way, then slanted over the middle to catch a pass before being tackled for a first down at the bear 42.  This was an obvious blatant foul in the open field that was almost impossible for an official to miss, as he not only hit the DB in the face, but pushed him backward to get separation.

2.  With 0:28 to play in the fourth quarter and the bears leading 20-17, the Vikings at the bear 12-yardline threw a potential game-winning TD pass into the endzone, which the receiver dropped.  The receiver was interfered with, but there was no call, so the Vikings had to kick a tying field goal and go into overtime.  Had this call been made, the Vikings would have had first-and-goal from the one, with a very good chance of scoring the winning touchdown.

Vikings:

1.  With 11:09 left in the first quarter, a Viking defender dropped an easy interception at the bear 28, which the announcers said would probably have been returned for a touchdown.

2.  The Vikings intercepted at their own 30 with about 4:00 left in the first quarter, but they were offsides, nullifying the interception and resulting in a bear field goal.

3.  With 4:40 left in the fourth quarter and the Vikings down 20-17, the Vikings were at the bear 6-yardline and threw a pass that should easily have been caught for a TD to put the Vikings ahead, but the receiver let the ball bounce off of him to a bear player, and it was returned to midfield.  Not only did this cost the Vikings a key TD and the lead, but it gave the bears good field position.

4.  When the Vikings got the ball at their own 9 (due to a fair catch) for the final drive in regulation, they fumbled the shotgun snap on the first play, but recovered.

5.  The Vikings dropped a potential winning-TD pass with 0:28 left in the fourth quarter, although the receiver was interfered with.

6.  This point is absolutely ridiculous!  After the Vikings kicked the tying field goal with 0:20 left in the fourth quarter, they kicked deep to Hester instead of deep squib kicking or kicking high and short!  The only thing that could hurt the Vikings in that situation was a big play by the bears, and they put themselves into a position for that to happen!  Hester returned the ball to midfield, and with 0:14 left, the bears had a chance to get into winning-FG position.  Unbelievable.

7.  The Vikings kicked what would have been the winning field goal in overtime, but it was called back due to a facemask penalty and the kicker missed the much-longer kick!