Vikings Defense Keeps Bears Out of End Zone But Unsatisfied
The Vikings are now 6-6 as they enter the bye.
A break is certainly needed for a team that's battered and bruised, but it's tough to stomach the idea of stewing on this loss for two weeks.
"I'd like to play again, to be honest," a clearly frustrated Harrison Smith said. "We had a chance. We had our opportunities and didn't make a play when it mattered most."
Added Bynum: "As a competitor, I want to get right back to it and get this taste out of our mouth."
Barr isn't feeling the same need for recovery, being that he only re-signed with the Vikings Nov. 14. But the 10-year veteran does understand the importance acknowledging a painful loss and then making the most of a bye before the season's final games.
"It sucks. We didn't play good enough to win, man. That's how the NFL is. You give a team enough opportunities, and you don't capitalize on your own, that's the way it's going to go," Barr said. "Hopefully we can learn from this. There's a lot of season out in front of us. Going to lick our wounds. Take some time away, reset and be ready for the home stretch."
The Vikings aimed to enter the bye week 3-0 in the division and came up short, but Minnesota isn't about to give up. The team already overcame a 1-4 start to the season and will look forward to returning injured players and working to capitalize on every remaining opportunity.
"We had a spot to put ourselves in a great position, and we let that slip. A lot of frustration going into this week," Metellus said. "But at the end of the day, we've gotta move on. That's this league. We've got another game coming. My mind's already on the Raiders. I know they have a bye week, too, so it's just about whoever can get the healthiest, whoever can use these next two weeks in the right way to win the game.
"I know the type of team we've got; I know the type of guys we have – playmakers on all sides of the field," he continued. "Times like this, it's just gonna build us stronger. We're heading into December. […] We've just gotta find a way to play our best football this next month."
