In his opening comments of training camp, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell set forth a vision for a team that would build its foundation differently than in the coach’s first two seasons. O’Connell frequently invoked the phrase “play style” as shorthand for a physical approach that would incorporate heavier personnel, use more downhill runs and provide a firm bedrock for their quarterback transition from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold. They’ve kept the approach more at the forefront of their offense than they did in O’Connell’s first two seasons, even as Darnold turned into a fringe MVP candidate with 28 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions in the team’s first 13 games.
On Monday night, the Vikings won for the seventh straight time, finishing a season sweep of the Bears with the kind of bruising performance that seemed at one point like it would be essential to their success in 2024. They won 30-12 , pulling even with the Lions and Eagles for the best record in the NFC at 12-2 and keeping their chances of home-field advantage in solid shape heading into the final three weeks of the season. Aaron Jones posted 106 yards on 20 touches, gaining 86 of those yards on the ground and scoring a one-yard TD that put the Vikings up by 17 in the third quarter.
Cam Akers added another one-yard score while running for 20 yards against a Bears defense that again committed to taking away Darnold’s downfield shots (save for a deep throw for Jordan Addison that resulted.
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