Joe Buck, Troy Aikman Sarcastically Sum Up Ugliness of Bears-Vikings Game
A 12-10 Chicago Bears win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night featured six turnovers, only one touchdown and two announcers who were apparently thankful when three hours of ugly prime-time football finally came to an end.
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were on the Monday Night Football call for this Week 12 NFC North showdown. And the longtime broadcast partners sarcastically summed things up after the final whistle of the night had been blown. Bears kicker Cairo Santos knocked in a go-ahead field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. What followed in the few seconds left was a desperate lateral attempt by the Vikings that didn't amount to much. But it may have entertained Buck and Aikman more than anything else that night.
"And with the Benny Hill music playing in the background, this game is over," Buck, who later shared a video of the play on X (formerly Twitter ) with that exact music, said on the ESPN broadcast.
"Thankfully," Aikman responded.
"And with the Benny Hill music playing in the background, this game is over.""Thankfully."
- Joe Buck and Troy Aikman speaking for pretty much anyone who watched this game. pic.twitter.com/vIfmKb1SuB — Awful Announcing November 28, 2023
But the Bears will take what they can get. After a season full of painful finishes, Chicago (4-8) won its first divisional game since 2021 by defeating the Vikings (6-6) in a defensive battle.
Santos missed his first field goal attempt of the night but bounced back to hit four straight and provide all of Chicago's scoring. The Bears are the first team this NFL season to win a game despite not scoring a touchdown. This is the first time Chicago has accomplished that feat since 1993. And of all teams in the Super Bowl era to not reach the end zone, lose multiple fumbles and compile more than 75 penalty yards, this Bears squad is the only one to win.
"Proud of everyone for fighting to the end, no matter what," said Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who lost two fumbles in the fourth quarter but hit wide receiver D.J. Moore for 36 yards on a clutch third-down throw that set Santos up for the game winner.
Cairo Santos of the Chicago Bears kicks a field goal during the fourth quarter of Monday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears defeated the Vikings, 12-10. David Berding//Week 12's Monday Night Football game was knotted at 3-3 going into halftime. The Bears held a 9-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Vikings responded with the first, and only, touchdown of the night. Minnesota quarterback Joshua Dobbs hit tight end T.J. Hockenson for a 17-yard score with 5:54 remaining in regulation to take a 10-9 lead. The second of Fields' fumbles occurred on the next Bears drive.
But Chicago's defense, which picked off Dobbs four times during the night, came up big again and forced a three-and-out. So Fields got the ball back, held on to it this time and did what he needed to set up his kicker for another attempt.
"Defense, I feel like we played lights out," Bears safety Eddie Jackson said.
Both teams head into their bye weeks after a prime-time game Buck and Aikman will likely have no trouble forgetting. Chicago can take comfort in snapping its 12-game losing streak to divisional opponents. But Minnesota, which opted to keep star wide receiver Justin Jefferson out for another game, has now lost two games in a row.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell did not commit to Dobbs being the starter the next time the team takes the field, on December 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
"Turnovers really control the game, so it starts with me and taking care of the football with my decision-making," Dobbs said.
"No matter what happens on the other end, it's giving the receiver a good ball and getting the ball where it needs to go based on the coverage. I acknowledge it. I'm frustrated with myself," he said.
