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Chicago Bears defense lets Adrian Peterson have another big day

The Bears fall to 8-5 on the year and are now precariously close to falling out of the NFC playoff picture.

By Michael Preston
Matthew Stockman

For the second time in three weeks, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hit the Chicago Bears in the mouth, this time for 154 yards on 31 carries and a couple of touchdowns in a 21-14 win. Peterson's big day included a team record 104 yards in the first quarter alone.

In two games this season, Peterson ran for 262 yards against a normally stout Bears defense that went without linebacker Brian Urlacher, defensive tackle Stephen Paea and cornerback Tim Jennings in the second game of the season series. By halftime today at the Metrodome, Peterson had picked up 125 yards on 18 carries. The Vikings running back put the Bears on their heels with the first play from scrimmage when he picked up 51 yards. Bears head coach Lovie Smith said after the game his team never recovered from that first drive and when asked why, he wasn't entirely sure.

I don't know. You tell me. How do you answer a question like that? If I knew that, we would've done a little bit more about it.

The Bears will have their backs against the wall, hanging on to an NFC wild card spot by a thread when they face the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field next weekend.