PLAY OF THE GAME
CLEAN PICK
Score: Chicago 18, Vikings 3
Situation: Second quarter, 2:08 left, Vikings second-and-10 at their own 25.
The play: Vikings QB Christian Ponder (7), pressured by Nate Collins (93), overthrew Devin Aromashodu (19), who was covered by Charles Tillman (33). Chris Conte (47) picked it off at the Bears 48 and returned it 35 yards.
The result: On the next play, QB Jay Cutler hit Matt Spaeth for a 13-yard TD.
THE VIEW FROM CHICAGO
Cutler's return calms the waters
However you want to refer to the occasionally irascible, always irreplaceable quarterback, call this the day Jay Cutler tightened things up for the Bears in every conceivable way. Back from a concussion, Cutler returned to restore calm to a football city suffering from anxiety after consecutive losses to legitimate Super Bowl contenders. When Cutler plays with the kind of command that beat the Vikings, the Bears' season seems much more under control.
DAVID HAUGH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
MANO-A-MANO
Vikings DE Jared Allen vs. Bears LT J'Marcus Webb
WHO WON?
Webb. Allen had four tackles and one quarterback hurry but was held without a sack by Webb. Allen has gone three games without a sack.
THE QUOTE
"We did not execute the way we needed to on the road against a good football team."
-- Vikings coach Leslie Frazier
