Game story
In Week 8 of the 2016 NFL season on 2016-10-31, the Chicago Bears took care of business against the Minnesota Vikings, pulling away with a 20–10 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
S. Bradford (Minnesota Vikings) paced the passing game, with -0.30 total EPA, and -2.2% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, J. Cutler (Chicago Bears) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +8.14 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+11.2% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Chicago Bears changed the game: (10:55) (Shotgun) 24-J.Howard left tackle pushed ob at MIN 13 for 69 yards (29-X.Rhodes).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. Cutler · Chicago Bears · Passing · +8.14 total EPA · 33 snaps · +0.25 EPA/play
- 2 S. Diggs · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +5.24 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.40 EPA/play
- 3 J. Howard · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +3.53 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.88 EPA/play
- 4 Z. Miller · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +2.44 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.24 EPA/play
- 5 A. Jeffery · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +2.09 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.26 EPA/play
- 6 K. Rudolph · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +1.92 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
- 7 J. Langford · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +1.59 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.59 EPA/play
- 8 C. Meredith · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +1.14 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.57 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. Cutler — CHI · Passing
J. Cutler posted the highest total EPA (+8.14) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Chicago Bears's efficiency. Across 33 counted snaps, they averaged +0.25 EPA per play.
The signature play (+4.90 EPA) came from Minnesota Vikings: (5:47) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Chicago Bears — J. Howard
- Chicago Bears — A. Jeffery (J. Cutler pass)
- Minnesota Vikings — S. Diggs (S. Bradford pass)
Field goals
- Chicago Bears — C. Barth
- Chicago Bears — C. Barth
- Minnesota Vikings — B. Walsh
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Chicago Bears won the period 3–0. Chicago Bears connected on a field goal from the MIN 12 (Q1 53:32) — (8:32) (Field Goal formation) 4-C.Barth 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell..
The second quarter: Chicago Bears won the period 10–3. Chicago Bears connected on a field goal from the MIN 10 (Q2 42:49) — (12:49) (Field Goal formation) 4-C.Barth 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell.; Chicago Bears found the end zone from the MIN 2 (Q2 37:54) — (7:54) 98-M.Unrein reported in as eligible. 24-J.Howard right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Chicago Bears added 1 points from the MIN 15 (Q2 37:49) — 4-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell.; Minnesota Vikings connected on a field goal from the CHI 12 (Q2 30:30) — (:30) (Field Goal formation) 3-B.Walsh 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke..
The third quarter: Chicago Bears won the period 7–0. Chicago Bears found the end zone from the MIN 11 (Q3 24:57) — (9:57) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 17-A.Jeffery for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Chicago Bears added 1 points from the MIN 15 (Q3 24:52) — 4-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell..
The fourth quarter: Minnesota Vikings won the period 7–0. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the CHI 25 (Q4 5:47) — (5:47) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Minnesota Vikings added 1 points from the CHI 15 (Q4 5:41) — 3-B.Walsh extra point is GOOD, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Chicago Bears (Q1 55:55) — (10:55) (Shotgun) 24-J.Howard left tackle pushed ob at MIN 13 for 69 yards (29-X.Rhodes).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 49:34) — (4:34) (Punt formation) 18-J.Locke punts 43 yards to end zone, Center-47-K.McDermott, Touchback.
- Chicago Bears (Q2 44:53) — (14:53) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 24-J.Howard to MIN 14 for 34 yards (54-E.Kendricks; 99-D.Hunter).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 57:23) — (12:23) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford pass incomplete short left to 19-A.Thielen (96-A.Hicks).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q2 30:37) — (:37) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford sacked at CHI 12 for -10 yards (96-A.Hicks).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 5:47) — (5:47) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Chicago Bears (Q1 55:55) — (10:55) (Shotgun) 24-J.Howard left tackle pushed ob at MIN 13 for 69 yards (29-X.Rhodes).
- Chicago Bears (Q2 44:53) — (14:53) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 24-J.Howard to MIN 14 for 34 yards (54-E.Kendricks; 99-D.Hunter).
- Chicago Bears (Q3 28:49) — (13:49) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right to 17-A.Jeffery pushed ob at MIN 36 for 34 yards (29-X.Rhodes).
Quarterback report card
S.Bradford led all passers in efficiency for Minnesota Vikings, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- S.Bradford (Minnesota Vikings) · 43 dropbacks · 53.5% completion · -2.2% CPOE · -0.01 EPA/play · -0.30 total EPA
- J.Cutler (Chicago Bears) · 33 dropbacks · 60.6% completion · +7.6% CPOE · +0.25 EPA/play · +8.14 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Minnesota Vikings | Chicago Bears |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.062 | +0.087 |
| Offensive success rate | 36.8% | 43.4% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.007 | +0.247 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.188 | -0.019 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.087 | +0.062 |
| Defensive success rate | 56.6% | 63.2% |
By the numbers
Chicago Bears held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.09 vs -0.06), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Chicago Bears: 10 drives, +6.62 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Minnesota Vikings: 10 drives, -4.74 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Chicago Bears leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- J. Cutler (Chicago Bears) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- J. Cutler (CHI) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Chicago Bears FG (+3) — Q1 53:32 · MIN 12 · Score 0-3
(8:32) (Field Goal formation) 4-C.Barth 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. - Chicago Bears FG (+3) — Q2 42:49 · MIN 10 · Score 0-6
(12:49) (Field Goal formation) 4-C.Barth 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. - Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q2 37:54 · MIN 2 · Score 0-12
(7:54) 98-M.Unrein reported in as eligible. 24-J.Howard right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Chicago Bears XP (+1) — Q2 37:49 · MIN 15 · Score 0-13
4-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. - Minnesota Vikings FG (+3) — Q2 30:30 · CHI 12 · Score 3-13
(:30) (Field Goal formation) 3-B.Walsh 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke. - Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q3 24:57 · MIN 11 · Score 3-19
(9:57) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 17-A.Jeffery for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Chicago Bears XP (+1) — Q3 24:52 · MIN 15 · Score 3-20
4-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-P.Scales, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. - Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q4 5:47 · CHI 25 · Score 9-20
(5:47) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Minnesota Vikings XP (+1) — Q4 5:41 · CHI 15 · Score 10-20
3-B.Walsh extra point is GOOD, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears?
The Chicago Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 20-10 in Week 8, 2016 on 2016-10-31.
What was the final score of Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears?
The final score was Minnesota Vikings 10, Chicago Bears 20 (MIN 10-20 CHI) in Week 8, 2016 on 2016-10-31.
What was the score by quarter in Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears?
Q1: Minnesota Vikings 0, Chicago Bears 3; Q2: Minnesota Vikings 3, Chicago Bears 10; Q3: Minnesota Vikings 0, Chicago Bears 7; Q4: Minnesota Vikings 7, Chicago Bears 0; Final: Minnesota Vikings 10, Chicago Bears 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears?
Chicago Bears touchdown — J. Howard (Q2 37:54) Chicago Bears touchdown — A. Jeffery (J. Cutler pass) (Q3 24:57) Minnesota Vikings touchdown — S. Diggs (S. Bradford pass) (Q4 5:47) Chicago Bears field goal — C. Barth (Q1 53:32, 3 pts) Chicago Bears field goal — C. Barth (Q2 42:49, 3 pts) Minnesota Vikings field goal — B. Walsh (Q2 30:30, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears?
S. Bradford (Minnesota Vikings), 53.5% completion, -2.2% CPOE, -0.01 EPA per dropback, -0.30 total passing EPA. J. Cutler (Chicago Bears), 60.6% completion, +7.6% CPOE, +0.25 EPA per dropback, +8.14 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears?
J. Cutler (Chicago Bears) led the game in total EPA with +8.14 on passing plays. across 33 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+4.90 EPA): (5:47) (Shotgun) 8-S.Bradford pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was +11.2%.
Season records after this game
Minnesota Vikings
Entered 5-1 Now 5-2 L
Chicago Bears
Entered 1-6 Now 2-6 W
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