October 14th, 2007 
Stephen Rhodes 
Posted in 
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson showed the Chicago Bears and the rest of the league why he was the first RB taken in this year’s draft, yet it was a 55-yard game-winning field goal on the last play of the game that allowed the Vikings (2-3) to squeak by the Chicago Bears (2-4) at Soldier Field Sunday, 34-31.
Peterson set a Vikings rushing record, rushing for a team-record 224 yards on only 20 carries; the old record was held by former Vikings RB Chuck Foreman back in 1976. Bears kick returner/wide receiver Devin Hester got the scoring started with an 89-yard punt return; the punt return for a TD was Hester’s 3rd kick-return TD of this season. The Bears then made the score 14-7 early in the second quarter when Bears quarterback Brian Griese connected with WR Bernard Berrian on a 39-yard TD pass. But it was all Adrian Peterson which made the end result possible.
Peterson ran for 3 TD’s; the Vikings finished the game with 311 rushing yards. Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson had an awful game, going 9-for-23 for 136 yards and a TD. WR Troy Williamson led all Vikings receivers with 69 yards on 2 catches and a TD. Bears QB Brian Griese went 26-for-45 for 381 yards with 3 TD’s and 2 INT’s in a losing effort. RB Cedric Benson had another abysmal performance, with 18 carries for 67 yards. WR Devin Hester led Bears receivers with 81 yards on only 1 reception, a TD; Bernard Berrian added 5 catches for 78 yards and a TD while the tight end tandem of Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark added 111 yards on 8 receptions. The Vikings next week visit the Dallas Cowboys while the last-place Bears go to Philadelphia to play the 2-3 Eagles.
