CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Coach Matt Nagy was beaming with pride after his Bears earned their 16-6 victory over the Vikings at Soldier Field on Sunday. It has become a familiar look.
Like several times before, the Bears pulled through by relying on their next man up at key spots. Starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky exited six plays into the game with a left shoulder injury. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Akiem Hicks and starting linebacker Roquan Smith were both ruled out prior to kickoff. Starting right guard Kyle Long was also inactive, and replacement Ted Larsen went down too.
And the Bears still beat a division rival.
"It just goes to show the type of culture that we have," Nagy said. "It's as simple as that.
"I'm just super proud."
Here are the takeaways from the game:
Chasing greatness
Credit goes to Chase Daniel, who stepped for Trubisky and led the Bears to a win while showcasing his comfort and experience running Nagy's offense.
"We just keep rolling," Nagy said of Daniel. "Zero changed, nothing, and that's the beauty of having a guy like Chase.
"We're very, very lucky to have Chase as our backup quarterback."
When Trubisky was sacked on the Bears' first possession and landed on his shoulder awkwardly, Daniel entered and kept the offense moving. He capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tarik Cohen. He remained efficient, going 22-of-30 for 195 yards and that touchdown and no turnovers.
Daniel made quick decisions, processing plays seamlessly. While Trubisky is the more talented player, Daniel possesses the confidence that Trubisky is still lacking. Daniel previously worked with Nagy from 2013 to 2015, so the offense comes naturally to him.
The extent of Trubisky's shoulder injury will be known early this week, though it's likely he'll miss the Bears' game against the Raiders in London on Sunday. Even so, if the Bears are working with Daniel for long, they'll feel confident.
Challenge accepted
The Vikings had re-established their offensive identity around Dalvin Cook and the running game.
The Vikings were averaging 193.7 rushing yards per game entering Sunday, with Cook averaging 6.6 yards per carry and sitting as the NFL's leading rusher. But they met a Bears run defense that had allowed only 68.7 yards per game.
Playing without Hicks, Smith and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols, the Bears held Cook to just 35 yards on 14 carries and the Vikings to 40 rushing yards.
"Those guys, they stepped up," Nagy said. "They wanted it. It was a challenge to them, and then again, our coaches put those guys in great positions. These are the fun ones. They all deserve credit."
Don't poke the Bears
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer made a comment to Minnesota reporters earlier in the week that seemed innocent enough.
He was asked about Soldier Field being a "tough place to play."
"I don't know," he said. "That's what everybody told me when I got here and we won some games. I guess if you turn the ball over and do dumb penalties and do dumb things, it's a pretty hard place to play. I think they've lost their last two."
That irked the Bears, who wanted to make a statement. They did just that, also sacking quarterback Kirk Cousins six times while shutting down the Vikings' running game.
"We're the No. 1 rush defense for a reason," linebacker Danny Trevathan said. "They came to the house. We take pride in that. All week, that's all we've been hearing, they're going to try to come in and run the ball and get 100, 200 yards. They ended up with 49.
"They found out today."
AR12
Unlike in 2018, Bears receiver Allen Robinson is fully healthy and established in the team's offense. The results are clear.
Robinson produced another strong performance, catching all seven of his targets for 77 yards. Daniel felt he couldn't gotten him even more involved.
"He's just so aggressive with the football," Daniel said. "You can trust him. It's his football or nobody's. So, I have a lot of trust in him, and I have a lot of time on task with him, too."
Robinson is on pace for 96 receptions and 1,120 yards one-quarter of the way through the season.
Kwit, Williams show off
Nick Williams stepped into a more prominent role on the Bears' defensive line with Hicks out and produced an excellent performance.
Williams sacked Cousins twice, bringing his total to four on the season. He has sacks in three straight games.
"You'e seen his muscles out there," Trevathan said. "But I'm just proud of the way he stepped in."
Then there was Nick Kwiatkoski, who started at inside linebacker with Smith out for personal reasons. He led the Bears with nine tackles, which included a sack, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.
Extra points
-- Words of wisdom from edge rusher Khalil Mack in speaking to reporters: "A dog that poops fast doesn't poop for long." OK, then.
-- Remember when the Bears' kicking situation was a major story? Eddy Pineiro was 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts and is quietly 8-for-9 this season.
-- The Bears remain committed to the run. Rookie running back David Montgomery had a season-high 21 carries, though he managed only 53 yards. Montgomery is averaging 3.4 yards per carry.
-- Credit the Bears' offensive line for its best performance of the season in pass protection. They allowed only one sack on the afternoon, that coming against Daniel. With Long out with a hip injury, the line still allowed ample time in the pocket for Daniel.
-- Second-year receiver Javon Wims had four receptions for 56 yards, and that wasn't by accident. With receiver Taylor Gabriel (concussion) unable to play, the Bears were glad to give him more opportunities.
-- Mack is unbelievable. That's all.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
