Those who are saying the Bears should be tanking the remainder of the season are the types of fans I’ll never understand. Win games. Win as many as you can. Draft where you’re slotted. This was a nice, convincing win from the Bears. But it doesn’t mean anything if they don’t string a few together. It’s step one in a reclamation project for the coach, quarterback…etc. Here are my thoughts:

• Yes, I’m leading off with the drive at the end of the first half. You are the Chicago Bears. You have been embarrassed on national television in consecutive games. You only have a four-point lead. You take possession at your own twenty-six with more than minute to go and a timeout and you sit on the football? If the Bears had lost this game this sequence would have made the covers of both dailies and been a talking point across the football landscape. How does Marc Trestman not understand his offense is playing at their finest level in months? How does a coach choose not to ride the hot hand and trust his quarterback? I would have loved comments from Cutler and Marshall at the half.
• The interception thrown by Cutler at the end of that sequence was a necessary act of defiance.
• Maybe Marquess Wilson being on the field DOES make a difference. Jeffery and Marshall played their best game as a pair by far.
• When the Bears commit to the vertical passing game, they win. All four wins this season featured Jay Cutler throwing the ball down the field.

• Watching football without the game clock is a surreal experience. Reminds of the line from Robin Hood: Men in Tights where Blinkin, who is blind, is asked what he is doing atop the watchtower. He answers, “Guessing? I guess no one’s coming?” Can’t imagine attempting to coach a game under those circumstances.
• Jared Allen the pass rusher showed up. That was nice.
• Lance Briggs the linebacker did too!
• From Jim Souhan in the Star Tribune: “Whatever delusions of grandeur this team had were blown away by fundamental, schematic and physical failures. The Bears’ porous defense? More than stout enough against the Vikings’ tentative running game, invisible receivers and jittery rookie quarterback.”
• Proof Referees Don’t Know the Rules, Volume XXXXXI: Go back and watch the safety called on Kyle Orton Thursday night against the Dolphins for intentional grounding in the end zone. Then go and watch the no call against Teddy Bridgewater at Soldier Field for, quite literally, the exact same play. Issue the NFL has is not with the enforcement of rules like defensive holding or hands to the face. Issue the NFL has is their referees do not know the rules of the sport and call vary ridiculously from crew-to-crew.
• Jay Cutler sweep left? Is that actually in the playbook? Why? Did he turn into Tim Tebow without me noticing? You have one of the best tail backs in the sport, two monster wide receivers and a monster tight end and you’re choosing Jay Cutler sweep left at the goal line?
• Don’t see it with Teddy Bridgewater. That’s not a franchise quarterback.
• Need to watch game tape to understand how Mel Tucker called this game but it seemed like solid effort from top to bottom.

Bears did not achieve anything Sunday other than cooling the criticism for a few days. That’s fair. But it only lasts til next Sunday.