Cutler makes winning return as Bears overcome Vikings
Jay Cutler threw for 252 yards and a touchdown and Jordan Howard ran for 153 yards and a score as the Chicago Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 20-10 at Soldier Field on Monday night.
Cutler, who missed five straight games with a sprained thumb, was efficient and completed 20 of 31 passes for Chicago (2-6), which snapped a three-game losing streak. Cutler’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery gave the Bears a 20-3 lead with 9:52 remaining in the third quarter.
The scoring catch was the first of the season for Jeffery, who had four catches for the Bears as did Howard. Tight end Zach Miller finished with seven catches for 88 yards.
Minnesota (6-2) failed to reach the end zone until a little more than five minutes left when Sam Bradford connected with Stefon Diggs on a 25-yard touchdown pass on fourthand-6. Bradford threw for 228 yards on 23-of-37 passing in the loss.
Until the Vikings’ late scoring strike, the Bears’ defense shut the Vikings down and sacked Bradford five times as the Vikings lost for the second straight week following six straight victories.
The Bears led 13-3 at halftime behind a dominating defensive performance that forced the Vikings to punt on their first five possessions.
The defense maintained the shutout before the Vikings managed a Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Minnesota’s lone first-half scoring drive was extended on a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty against the Bears after Pernell McPhee sacked Bradford, who fumbled on the play. Minnesota receiver Adam Thielen recovered Bradford’s fumble, which allowed the Vikings’ offense to remain on the field due to the penalty.
The Vikings drove inside Chicago’s 10-yard line before the defense shut Minnesota down and sacked Bradford for a 10-yard loss before Walsh connected on the field goal.
Andre Johnson retires after 14 seasons
Veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson has informed the Tennessee Titans that he is retiring from the NFL after 14 seasons.
The 35-year-old Johnson joined the Titans on July 30 and played in eight games for the team this season, making nine catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
He scored the game-winning touchdown in the 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 2.
A seven-time Pro Bowl player with the Houston Texans, Johnson had a backup role this season. He had not made a catch since Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins.
Johnson spent his first 12 NFL seasons with the Texans before playing last season with the Indianapolis Colts. He had 1,012 receptions for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns with the Texans, all of which are franchise records.
Johnson finishes his NFL career with 1,062 catches for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns. He had seven 1,000-yard seasons and four seasons with at least 1,400 yards receiving.
A first-round pick (third overall) by the Texans in 2003, Johnson retires as 10th overall in career receiving yards and ninth in career receptions.
Texans owner Bob McNair told the Houston Chronicle that Johnson should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I’d love to see Andre in the Hall of Fame,” said McNair. “That would be terrific. I think he deserves to be there. It’d be a reflection on what we have done with our franchise in that we’ve produced a player who was of that quality. Andre was a star for us.”