Chicago Bears vs. Minnsota Vikings MNF: Not-So-Mortal Kombat

I moved to Minnesota in 2004. Because of that, a team I'd always respected, the Vikings, became my second team behind my hometown team, the Chicago Bears, the one team we in Chicago could always get behind, could unite in support of.

But in those years, I saw, while the Bears went to the Super Bowl behind the rushing of Thomas Jones and one of the only salvageable seasons Rex Grossman could put together, the Vikings seemed stuck in neutral behind bad coaching, an offense that was bad in the final stages of Daunte Culpepper, and Mr.Hard Hands, the "prize" from the idiotic Randy Moss trade, Troy Williamson.

Fast forward to December 28, 2009.

The Minnesota Vikings are one of the elite teams in the NFL behind the passing attack of Brett Favre (THAT'S something you'd never thought you'd hear when Favre was on the cover of the Quarterback Club games) the rushing attack of Adrian Peterson, and a feared defense that made the Minnesota Vikings look better than the 15-1 team that only missed the Super Bowl because Gary Anderson chose that time to turn into Scott Norwood against a vastly inferior Atlanta Falcons team.

The Chicago Bears, on the other hand, have played at times like Washington Redskins West. That is to say, as badly as it's possible for a team whose running back gets buried under an avalanche of white jerseys before he picks up a yard to play.

Not only that, but these two teams had met earlier in the season, and the Bears had been beaten to a pulp behind the bruising attack of the front four (Jared Allen and his merry men-no, not Merriman) and Jay Cutler's supposed ineptitude (which is more of an indictment against the Bear offensive line than it is against Cutler)

This time, because I couldn't bear to watch Favre tattoo the Bears again, I didn't watch the Pregame Show or the beginning of the game. And despite my neutrality in this game, I really hate seeing the Bears look bad. So between my switching from Monday Night Raw to Criminal Minds and back, I would peek in on the game.

I showed up about halftime and changed the station, fully expecting to see the Bears on the receiving end of a curbstomping. To show my surprise, I actually flipped past the game because I thought I was seeing things.

The Chicago Bears, a team I had raged against many a time, were not only showing fortitude, but had shut the door on the Minnesota Vikings throughout the first half...something that had not happened for the Bears in a long time. Unfortunately, Matt Forte was Matt Forte, eaten not by Pat Williams, but by Kevin Williams and Pat's replacement, Jimmy Kennedy.

Other than that, Jay Cutler seemed to suddenly be out of his Early Mikey Whipwreck phase and laying waste to the vaunted Vikings defense, and the Bear defense was closing AP and the Vikings down like a bankrupt mini-mall. It was stunning, but it should not have been. Cutler's talent has never been doubted, except by people who for some stupid reason wanted Kyle Orton as the QB of this team.

But of course the Bears had to make it interesting. The Football Gods decided that a team this bad should not have such an easy victory over a team led by the Golden Boy and his teammate AP.

Because suddenly the Bears offense went south, while Favre and Peterson whacked the Bears defense around. But a key play brought a smile to the face: The blocked extra point kept Cutler's heroics in OT on the schedule.

Now, on the one hand I'm happy the Bears won. After all, the Bears are my team, and anything that I could say otherwise would be wrong. But on the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings, who I also like because I live here, have looked bad over the past four games.

And worse, the one person who shouldn't have been in a position to be the goat was the goat. So now I have to hear how AP is not the best RB in football anymore, AND the ridiculousness of Peterson now being behind Stephen Jackson and Maurice Jones-Drew because of this one play.

I agree that Chris Johnson is a beast. But I'm not quite ready to take the title from AP because of a fumble that led to the game winning drive. As far as I'm concerned, it simply was a bad idea by Peterson to keep fighting and not just drop the knee.

But I am not going to penalize everything Peterson has done because of this. Is it his fault that ON THE VERY NEXT PLAY Cutler picked on still injured Antoine Winfield for the game winning touchdown? Not really. I mean, you could say that directly led to it. But at the same time, it's the Bears. THE. Bears.

Does anyone think that this team would have immediately taken a shot at the win? THIS TEAM, of all teams? A team coached by Lovie Smith? I'm sure Vikings fans at Soldier Field (or Soldiers Field, either works) were thinking that the Bears were simply going to get into field goal range. Only not even thirty seconds later Cutler put an end to the game and the Vikings hopes of homefield advantage.

Brad Childress sucks. Let's be honest. He's an insecure, arrogant pud who couldn't coach his way out of a burlap sack if you left it open and laying on its side. See, Childress is responsible for this funk the Vikings are in because he can't let Favre do his thing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Favre mark in any way, shape or form. I hated Favre for something like 14 years, and that doesn't go away because a team you like signs him. I didn't want the Vikings to get him, but it's because of him the Vikings are in the situation they're in.

But when it comes to Coach Childress, there's a saying: "You dance with the girl you brought to the party." YOU brought in Favre, sir. You did. I find Childress' insistance on running his plays now of all times suspicious.

I also think that Zygi Wilf made a mistake. The extension was a bad idea because when Favre walks away after having input his wisdom to Tavaris Jackson..what then? When you brought in Brett Favre, you forfeited the right to claim credit, but you did accept the mantle of blame. Why make yourself worthy of it?

The best coaches in the world when it comes to football don't fight with their Hall Of Fame QB about not running their plays. Look at Peyton Manning. Peyton, the best QB in the NFL over the past 10 years, routinely calls audibles and changes calls.

Did Tony Dungy whine about it? Hey, how about Bill Belichick? Does he whine at Tom Brady? Nah, he can't be bothered. But this is actually a big story in Minnesota. Why? Because the Vikings, despite some of the greatest defenses ever, and a prolific offense that NFL coaches still dream about to this day, have never won anything—0-4 on championships.

And if Childress blows this because his ego screws things up, they'll never forgive him. He'll be the man who ruined what should have been the championship Vikings fans should have had long ago.

Meanwhile, I'm still on the fire Lovie Smith wagon, and like in a bad movie I'm about to throw the driver out of the seat and drive it myself. But this was a game to be celebrated. Matt Forte still got buried, but at least he can be replaced in next years...oh, hell, I forgot.

These are two teams going in different directions. But had you watched Monday night's game, you might not have known which was which.