Bears now 2-14 in division in quest to 'take the North and never give it back' after 30-12 loss to Vikings

MINNEAPOLIS — The Bears got yet another reminder of how far away they are from fulfilling general manager Ryan Poles’ goal to “take the North and never give it back” when the Vikings beat them 30-12 Monday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

With the loss, the team is now 2-14 in the NFC North since Poles made that comment at his introductory press conference. They weren’t cohesive offensively, and their defense looks very vulnerable ahead of the upcoming home game against the dominant Lions.

Here’s what went wrong against the Vikings:

Pitiful start

When the game’s getting away from the Bears by the time they hit halftime, there’s not much more to say. They were down two scores, this time 13-0 to the Vikings, at halftime for the third consecutive game and trailed at halftime by a combined score of 53-0 in those contests. The Bears were 0 for 5 on third down at the half and had just 107 yards of offense.

Williams withering?

Not only did quarterback Caleb Williams lose a fumble for a critical turnover in the first half that led to a Vikings touchdown, but he brought little to the table as a downfield passer. He threw just one pass five yards or more beyond the line of scrimmage in the first half.

Draft watch

The Bears have reached a point where the standings are relevant only as they pertain to their draft slot. With three games left, they’re slotted ninth. They will have had a top-10 pick all three years under Poles.