2004 · Week 3 · Division

Final

Bears

Chicago

QB Rex Grossman

22·27

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Daunte Culpepper

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome · dome · fieldturf

Closing spread

MIN -12

Total

45

Model margin

+1.4est.

MIN perspective

Push chance

1.1%est.

Win probability

  • Vikings
  • Bears

How each play moved the game.

Vikings winsBears wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Bearsedge mapVikings
  • -0.240EPA / play+0.162
  • 35.2%Success rate50.0%
  • -0.283EPA / dropback+0.287
  • -0.177EPA / rush-0.097
  • 6.8%Explosive rate10.7%
  • 25.7%Third-down rate52.5%
  • 43.9%Red-zone TD rate64.5%
  • 0.78Points / drive2.26
  • 3.4%Turnover rate2.0%
  • -0.102EPA / play allowed+0.107

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

MIN lead 29–26 since 1999

Meetings average 41.3 points. MIN are 24-30-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2026 · W2MIN @ CHI9–3MIN
2025 · W11CHI @ MIN19–17CHI
2025 · W1MIN @ CHI27–24MIN
2024 · W15CHI @ MIN12–30MIN
2024 · W12MIN @ CHI30–27MIN
2023 · W12CHI @ MIN12–10CHI
2023 · W6MIN @ CHI19–13MIN
2022 · W18MIN @ CHI29–13MIN

Possession by possession

How it unfolded

Every drive: who had the ball, how far it went, how it ended, and the score as it settled.

Drive-by-drive log
BallStartPlaysYardsResultCHI–MIN
CHIQ1 15:001152Field goal3–0
MINQ1 8:08961Missed field goal3–0
CHIQ1 3:16754Turnover3–0
MINQ1 0:1014Turnover3–0
CHIQ2 15:0037Field goal6–0
MINQ2 13:41878Touchdown6–7
CHIQ2 8:5732Punt6–7
MINQ2 7:32520Field goal6–10
CHIQ2 5:0939Punt6–10
MINQ2 2:43938Turnover on downs6–10
CHIQ2 0:20322End of half6–10
MINQ3 15:00882Touchdown6–17
CHIQ3 10:58879Missed field goal6–17
MINQ3 6:44739Turnover6–17
CHIQ3 3:00727Field goal9–17
MINQ4 14:46858Field goal9–20
CHIQ4 11:201079Touchdown15–20
MINQ4 6:20465Touchdown15–27
CHIQ4 5:39961Touchdown22–27
MINQ4 2:0030Punt22–27
CHIQ4 1:365-7Turnover on downs22–27
MINQ4 1:1000End of half22–27

Box score

Individual performances

Bears

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Rex Grossman21/3124800
Jonathan Quinn0/3000

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Thomas Jones221105.01
Rex Grossman3206.71
Bobby Wade11414.00
Anthony Thomas221.00

Vikings

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Daunte Culpepper19/3036020
Gus Frerotte0/1000

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Onterrio Smith17945.50
Daunte Culpepper6132.21
Kelly Campbell1-14-14.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +127.2%7.5%3.0%4.6%2.9%

Positive margins favour Vikings; negative favour Bears.

Half-point at risk

1.10%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

52.9%

Expected total

45.7est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+2.63
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment-3.68
  • Rest differential-0.08
  • Expected margin+1.43