On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings were defeated at home by the Chicago Bears on a last-second field goal, 19-17. It was another strong showing for the defense, but the offense struggled yet again to move the ball and reach field-goal range. While some may have hoped that going against a banged-up defense would result in a few more points, this was not to be the case. But it was not all bad all around. The positional grades are in, so let’s talk about them.

Quarterback: D

J.J. McCarthy struggled once again this past Sunday, going 16/32 with 150 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The accuracy concerns were once again on display, as the team struggled to find the proper arm strength on throws while missing open receivers. He almost had a third interception after throwing into double coverage late, but was bailed out by two Bears’ defensers running into one another. It may have only been his fifth career start, but the Vikings fans showed their displeasure, unleashing the boo birds loudly for all to hear.

Running Back: B+

135 combined yards on the ground by Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason, the latter being able to find his way into the end zone this week. The offense got Jones going early, and he was running with a purpose and getting nice chunks of yards. Averaging 5.2 yards per carry between the two backs over 22 total carries showcased that the rush attack game plan was right on the money.

Wide Receivers: C-

While we did just discuss the accuracy concerns from McCarthy, the completion percentage would have been higher had this group not dropped so many passes. Six total drops from the skill positions this week, including a handful of crucial drops from Jordan Addison. While he did make up for it with just seconds to go in the fourth quarter by hauling in a back shoulder throw for a touchdown to take the lead, it does make you wonder how this game might have looked had there not been so many drops.

Tight Ends: C+

TJ Hockenson played his part in the drops fiasco that took place against the Chicago Bears, but he and Josh Oliver did a nice job in run blocking this week, albeit against a weaker edge rusher group. Four total receptions for 36 yards on seven targets should be encouraging, at least for Hockenson, who struggled to see targets from McCarthy so far this year.

Offensive Line: A

This offensive line, especially the interior, did an outstanding job this week creating running lanes for these running backs, but also protecting McCarthy. Both Jones and Mason found success rushing between the tackles, which is all thanks to these IOL guys up front. One tackle for loss this week, and keeping their quarterback clean should be something this team can hang their hat on.

Defensive Line: B-

The big guys up front for the defense started the game strong, not giving up too many long runs from D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. However, as the game went on, Swift especially started to get going and was able to break off a handful of runs of five or more. This Vikings front struggled to get Caleb Williams on the ground, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. However, his elusiveness and agility allowed him to break free from several potential sacks.

Linebackers: B+

Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel were everywhere on Sunday, totaling a staggering 23 tackles between the two of them. Van Ginkel even got in on the action in the sack department, dropping Williams early in the fourth quarter for a massive loss. Dallas Turner had arguably his best game of the year, finishing with seven tackles, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, including one sack, and even had a pass breakup as well.

Defensive Backs: B+

This secondary did a wonderful job slowing down the litany of weapons the Chicago Bears have. When your opponents’ two best wide receivers total three receptions for 59 yards on nine targets, you were doing something right. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers each nabbed a tackle for loss to pair with their great coverage on the back end. Overall, a strong showing for this defense.

Special Teams: C+

We all know that Myles Price has some juice, but the fumbles have been a concern this season with him. While he did not put the ball on the ground yesterday, he did let the opening kickoff go through the back of the end zone instead of downing it, which brought the ball out to the 20. 172 total return yards was excellent, giving Minnesota a few chances to start with great field position.

Why this group only grades out at a C+ is due to Devin Duvernay taking the kickoff back 56 yards after J.J. McCarthy connected with Jordan Addison late to take the lead. Allowing such a massive return gave Chicago great starting field position, and only took a few runs to get them close enough to kick the game-winning field goal.