Introduction: It never really felt like the Vikings were going to lose Monday against the Bears, but that was a function of Chicago's ineptitude more than anything else. That was the main thought from a 17-9 Vikings victory that at least temporarily moved Minnesota into the No. 7 spot in the NFC playoff race. The Vikings offensive line gave up pressure all night -- one of Star Tribune beat writer Ben Goessling's three takeaways as he joined the show via a "voicemail" from Chicago. But as Mike Zimmer said, the defense played well and it was a much-needed victory in the big picture. 11:00: Star Tribune Gophers men's basketball beat writer Marcus Fuller joins the show to talk about the surprising 9-1 Gophers, who are garnering some national attention and showing up in some early NCAA tournament projections. 29:00: The Wild lost its fourth consecutive game and the Wolves lost two more players to COVID protocols.