EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings (10-5) and Bears (7-8) are putting a bow on the 2019 regular season on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in what is becoming an annual tradition.
Minnesota is hosting Chicago in Week 17 for the fourth time in as many seasons since the venue opened in 2016.
Here are three notes on the noon (CT) matchup and information on how to watch or listen to the game.
Rebound for run defense? The Vikings defense is trying to bounce back from allowing 184 rushing yards by the Packers. Green Bay became the sixth team this season to rush for at least 100 against Minnesota, which fell to 2-4 when an opponent hits three digits on the ground.
Minnesota ranks 14th in run defense, having allowed an average of 104.7 yards per game, which is ballooned by Monday's total as well as 218 racked up by Seattle earlier this month. The Vikings allowed a total of 402 rushing yards during its two Monday Night Football appearances this season.
Chicago's run offense ranks 29th in the NFL with an average of 86.7 yards per game. The Bears, however, have averaged 109.0 rushing yards in their past four games.
Look back at photos over the course of time featuring games between the Vikings and the Bears.
Cordarrelle returns: The Vikings have an appreciation for the threats posed by Bears return specialists Cordarrelle Patterson and Tarik Cohen.
Patterson leads the NFL with an average of 29.5 yards on 28 kickoff returns and has returned one for a score this season, bringing his career total to seven (he did five of those with the Vikings). Cohen, meanwhile, ranks second in the NFL with 302 yards on 33 punt returns for an average of 9.2 yards that ranks fourth.
Corralling Patterson and Cohen will be important aspects for field position against the Bears.
Avoiding two in a row: A major component for the Vikings claiming a playoff berth has been the team's ability to avoid losing two in a row at any point this season. Minnesota followed losses at Green Bay, at Chicago, at Kansas City and at Seattle with respective wins against Oakland, at the New York Giants, at Dallas and against Detroit.
The next-two-closest teams to the No. 6 seed in the NFC this year were the Rams (8-7) and Bears. Los Angeles lost three in a row from Sept. 29 through Oct. 13. Chicago dropped four consecutive games from Oct. 6 through Nov. 3.
Those two teams have dropped two straight heading into Week 17.
It remains unknown how many starters will play or how much they'll play, but Minnesota would still like to get a win and build some momentum heading into the postseason.
Here are all the ways to catch the action:
BROADCAST TV
FOX (KMSP FOX 9 in the Twin Cities)
Kickoff: Noon (CT)
Play-by-Play: Dick Stockton
Analyst: Mark Schlereth
Sideline Reporter: Jen Hale
ON MOBILE
Fans who live in the green area shown on the map from 506sports.com will be able to watch the game on their iOS mobile devices with the VIKINGS APP or VIKINGS MOBILE SITE (Safari browser only).
LOCAL RADIO
KFAN 100.3-FM/KTLK 1130-AM in Minneapolis/St. Paul
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen
Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline Reporters: Greg Coleman & Ben Leber
Radio Pre-game Show: Mike Mussman | 10 a.m. (CT)
KFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the five-state Vikings Radio Network.
SATELLITE RADIO
Sirius: CHI 133 or Streaming 805; MIN 82 or Streaming 819
XM: CHI 382 or Streaming 805; MIN 227 or Streaming 819
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
Click here for the full bevy of options that include over-the-air, cable, satellite, over-the-top and streaming methods.