Bears vs. Vikings 2012: Game preview, kickoff time, TV schedule and more

This week's NFC North game between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings carries unexpected stakes with Chicago looking to hold onto its tenuous playoff position, while the Vikings are hoping to make up ground and find a back door into the postseason.

A disappointing six-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks last week made Sunday's game a must-win for Lovie Smith's team. Sitting at 8-4, the Bears currently hold one of two wild card spots in the NFC, but with four 6-6 teams on their heels, they'll need to ensure they don't slip like they did against Seattle.

The Minnesota Vikings are perfectly content leaning on running back Adrian Peterson, and for good reason. With 489 rushing yards his last three games, Peterson is pushing the envelope to see if he can break the NFL's rushing record. Defensively, Jared Allen is as good as ever -- with nine sacks on the season, he's been disruptive, as usual, which could cause problems with Chicago's offensive line.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Dec. 9, 1 p.m. ET

Location: Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, Minn.

TV Schedule: Fox, DirecTV 707

TV Distribution Map: The506.com

Radio Schedule:

Chicago -- WBBM | WLEY (Espanol)

Minnesota -- KFAN (FM 100.3)