Postgame snapshot from Mall of America Field where the Bears beat the Vikings 17-13.

Good news: For those fans who chose to spend their New Year's Day watching a meaningless NFC North struggle, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen put on a fantastic show. Allen sacked Bears quarterback Josh McCown 3.5 times, setting a new franchise record for sacks in a season with 22. Allen finished 0.5 sacks from tying Michael Strahan's NFL record but continued to display his relentless work ethic all the way down to the final snap of the season. Allen will head to his fourth Pro Bowl next month in Honolulu, very deserving of the honor. Bad news: Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder was knocked out of the game early in the second quarter after he suffered a hip injury on a hit from Chicago's Israel Idonije. This was the third time in the last 22 days that Ponder was unable to finish a game he started. Ponder was 4-for-10 for 28 yards before he was hurt. He also threw an interception that was returned 22 yards for a touchdown by Charles Tillman. Over his final four starts, Ponder had a .500 completion percentage, throwing for just 331 yards with four touchdown passes and five interceptions. This was not the kind of confidence-shaking finish the Vikings needed for their rookie. Extra point: Running back Toby Gerhart rushed for 67 yards on 15 carries, running with toughness and surprising burst at times. But Gerhart suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and, like Ponder, was done for the day. With Adrian Peterson already out, the Vikings finished Sunday's game with Lorenzo Booker as their only active running back. Next up: The Vikings finish the season at 3-13, matching their worst record in franchise history.