Frustrated Bears Get Nick Foles Hurt in 19-13 Loss to Vikings

The Bears had injuries added to insult, and as a result are not only 5-5 on the year but are heading off into their bye week and possibly NFL oblivion.

The worst offensive peformance since Dec. 3, 2017 produced a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and in the process they lost both quarterback Nick Foles and defensive end Akiem Hicks, two of their most indispensable players.

The Bears had 149 yards, their worst total under Matt Nagy, and had four second-half three-and-outs when the game was there for the taking, after a team record 104-yard kick return touchdown by Cordarrelle Patterson staked them to a 13-7 lead.

“Obviously we struggled mightily on offense in having the four three-and-outs in the second half,” Nagy said. “We had field position, we couldn’t convert on that in the red zone.

“It overshadows how well I thought our defense played and the different sudden changes they had, how well our special teams played. I was proud of those guys. So two out of the three parts right now are playing well. It’s been a constant theme for us.”

The new part is the injury to Foles, who was in obvious pain after a near sack when he threw away the ball and Minnesota’s Ifeadi Odenigbo in turn threw him on his right shoulder.

The injury in the final minute of the game cast a shadow over the remainder of the season.

“It was his leg or his hip,” Nagy said. “So I think they’re still working through the details on that. I have not talked to him yet in the locker room. I will here after we’re done and just make sure he’s OK. I know he’s upset. It’s been frustrating, it’s been hard, and that’s the part that’s difficult through all this because no one wants it more than him to be out there to fight with his teammates.”

Foles completed 15 of 26 for 106 yards and was sacked twice, but Bears passers were hit 11 times while throwing.

“We’ve got to just keep using that persistence over resistance and just keep fighting and keep staying together and eventually something here will hopefully change and I think that’s where we’ve got to believe and trust and keep playing for each other,” Nagy said.

On the positive side was Patterson’s kick return touchdown, straight up the right side . Once he picked his spot, he burst through almost untouched to start the second half and deliver a 13-7 lead after Cairo Santos had made first-half field goals of 23 and 42 yards.

That was it, though, for Bears scoring. The offense looked like it went into the bye week about two quarters earlier than the defense and special teams.

The Bears had two second-half first downs, one on the final desperation drive with less than a minute left and no timeouts—a drive that ended with Tyler Bray at quarterback because of Foles’ injury.

“We’re not good enough right now,” Patterson said of the offense. “Everybody sees that. It’s no secret the offense isn’t good enough.

“Just have to keep stepping up, just playing better because the defense, they’re playing lights out each and every week. They’re setting us up each and every time to score points and get the win, but we’re just not coming out at the top. This bye week is going to be real critical for a lot of people to get healthy and just stay focused on the right thing and just staying healthy, like I said.”

Patterson’s return broke Gale Sayers’ record of 103 yards set in 1967 against Pittsburgh, and it tied him for the NFL record of eight career kick return touchdowns.

“Honestly, I’ve just gotta give it up to those 10 guys that was blocking for me,” Patterson said. “Man, they did a heck of a job. We work it every week, man, every week at practice. Every time we get the ball, we want to go out on kickoff return and score.”

The trouble is they have to do this because the offense can’t score. It’s the second time in four weeks they failed to score a touchdown on offense in a game.

They went 2 of 11 on third downs after going 2 of 15 the previous week, and this was against a beaten-up Vikings defense. Then they got Foles injured.

“Pissed off, disappointment, a lot of emotions, negative emotions right now,” tackle Charles Leno Jr. said. “We’ve got to process. We know it’s two Monday nights we didn’t perform well. It’s just frustrating.”

The defense didn’t play perfect, lost Hicks to a hamstring injury late, but did produce a Khalil Mack interception and return to set up a wasted scoring opportunity. They also had a fumble recovery by Tashaun Gipson on Minnesota’s first drive.

The Bears allowed Dan Bailey field goals of 37 and 43 yards in the third quarter to tie, but one of those came after punt returner Dwayne Harris muffed a punt at the Bears 20.

The winning touchdown was a 6-yarder to Adam Thielen from Kirk Cousins, who finally got his first Monday Night Football win on his 10th try. It came with 10:06 left, but it could have been 10 days left for all the better the Bears offense has been of late.

Cousins completed 25 of 36 for 292 yards and also threw a 17-yard TD pass in the first quarter to Thielen, a one-handed grab.

“They were just, like, finding soft spots and they did what they had to do,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “It was good plays, good plays on their behalf. Can’t hang our heads on that. We just have to go to the next play and can’t dwell on the past at the end of the day.”

There’s not much to dwell on in the past, especially on offense, and especially over the past four weeks.

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