The Minnesota Vikings moved back into the NFC playoff field with a 17-9 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football. Let’s break down the three biggest takeaways from the Vikings’ defensive masterpiece victory over the Bears in Week 15.

Minnesota jumped into the No. 7 spot in the playoff picture, passing the New Orleans Saints (7-7). The Washington Football Team (6-7) and Philadelphia Eagles (6-7) face off on Tuesday evening. Washington would leapfrog ahead of Minnesota for the seventh seed with a win.

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Minnesota Vikings Week 15 Takeaways

1. Defense finally shows up

For much of the season, the Vikings relied on their electrifying offense to carry the squad. Against the Bears, however, the Vikings were spearheaded by their highly scrutinized defense. D.J. Wonnum had the best game of his young career. The second-year defensive end accounted for all three of Minnesota’s sacks, including a crucial fourth-down takedown:

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The Vikings forced three fumbles, the first coming in the opening quarter. Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler stripped Bears QB Justin Fields on a rush attempt:

Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson forced and recovered a fumble on a carry by Bears running back David Montgomery in the second quarter. He convinced head coach Mike Zimmer to challenge the play, which was not ruled a fumble initially. After Zimmer challenged the play, the call was overturned and the Vikings were rewarded the football:

The Vikings recovered a third fumble on a muffed punt. They won the turnover battle, 3-1. Overall, the Vikings surrendered just one touchdown … which came on the game’s final play with the victory already in hand.

2. Vikings play down to their competition … again

Minnesota is capable of beating any team in the NFL, as evidenced by its win over the 11-3 Green Bay Packers, who hold the best record in football. However, the Vikings are also prone to play down to their competition. They needed a 54-yard field goal to beat the Detroit Lions (2-11-1) in Week 5 and then lost to those same Lions in Week 12.

Facing off against the four-win Bears in Week 15, the Vikings were particularly ineffective on offense — despite facing a Chicago defense ravaged by COVID-19-related absences. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has played like a Pro Bowler for much of the season, completed just 12-of-24 passes for 87 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His 87 yards were the fewest of his career, and this came against a Bears team missing its entire starting secondary.

Cousins’ interception was bizarre, to put it mildly, as there were no Vikings receivers in sight:

It was just the sixth interception of the season for Cousins, the second-fewest among starting quarterback behind only MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers (4). Despite the horrific outing, Cousins ranks seventh in both passing yards (3,656) and TD passes (29). He holds the fifth-best passer rating (101.8) in the NFL.

The Vikings' inconsistencies as a team fall on the shoulders of Zimmer, who may need a strong finish to the season to maintain his job for 2022.

3. The one-score game streak extends to 11

There’s a real argument to be made that the Vikings are the most compelling team in football. While they are the epitome of an average team by record — seven wins against seven losses — they are always involved in tight games.

While the Vikings were in control for much of the contest against the Bears, they never extended their lead beyond 14 points. The Bears managed a touchdown on the final play of the contest — a TD pass from Justin Fields to Jesper Horsted.

With the last-second TD surrendered, the Vikings won by a one-score margin (eight points or fewer) for the 11th consecutive game:

The single-score streak could extend to 12 on Sunday when the Vikings host the Los Angeles Rams. According to the odds at FanDuel, the Vikings are 3-point home underdogs.