Some very good, then…some disaster. A situation where a serviceable performance was undercut by a major mistake at a pivotal moment in a game that could be decided by one play.
Matt Forte was workmanlike through the first half with 35 yards on eight carries, then was starting to assert himself in the second before taking a hit to his right knee from Vikings safety Harrison Smith that knocked Forte out of the game. Forte finished with 41 yards on 10 carries and caught all four of the passes Jay Cutler threw him, for another 28 yards.
[MORE GRADES: Cutler makes solid plays, team fails to finish]
Jeremy Langford took over for Forte in the third quarter and delivered a spark, with a run of nine yards among his 25 yards on five third-quarter carries as the Bears took the game slowly away from the Vikings.