MINNEAPOLIS –Chad Greenway said last week that the Vikings would play for pride and to give their fans a show.

In Minnesota's 2016 season finale, the defense helped the Vikings do both.

Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Linval Joseph forced a fumble by Bears quarterback Matt Barkley. Linebacker Anthony Barr got his hand on the loose ball to flip it away from white jerseys, and Everson Griffen scooped it up and ran 20 yards to the end zone.

The score was the Vikings fourth defensive touchdown of the season but first since Xavier Rhodes' pick-6 against the Cardinals on Nov. 20.

"Anthony knocked it out, and I just kept on going to the whistle, picked it up, and I scored," Griffen said. "The biggest thing is that we got the win."

Safety Harrison Smith said it was awesome to see his teammate – and fellow Pro Bowler – get the touchdown to finish the year.

"That was a great play by, really, all of the guys up front there, and then Anthony keeping the ball alive," Smith said. "And Everson, about as athletic of a d-lineman as you're going to find, picks it up."

Griffen's touchdown effectively stopped the Bears attempt at a comeback, extending Minnesota's lead to 38-10. It was the fifth Bears turnover of the game.

It was Rhodes that got the defensive momentum rolling on the Bears first drive of the game. On a second-and-6 from Minnesota's 16, Barkley threw a pass intended for Alshon Jeffery. Rhodes read the pass and easily intercepted it for his fifth pick of the season.

"It was a great call by the coach. They were in stack, and I was just in my zone," Rhodes said. "[Barkley] threw it when I was in my zone, and I just attacked it and caught the ball."

Rhodes' play gave the Vikings possession deep in their own territory, and a 15-play drive ended in a Kai Forbath field goal to give Minnesota an early 10-0 lead over Chicago.

Rhodes' fifth interception gave him the team lead for the first time of his career. The cornerback had only two career interceptions – one in 2014 and one in 2015 – prior to this season. Rhodes said a major focus for the entire year had been catching the ball rather than just batting it down. He credited his defensive teammates for the improvement he's shown this season.

"The secondary helped me – those guys kept my spirits up and kept helping me out with that, mentally," Rhodes said. "The d-line rushing, the linebackers in tight coverage, they made the quarterback make hard throws, so that helped me out a lot."

On the following Bears drive, Chicago made just two plays before running back Jeremy Langford fumbled the ball after a 2-yard gain. The ball squirted out and bobbled a few years before safety Anthony Harris fell on it for Minnesota.

"I was just trying to run, hustle on the ball, finish on the ball," Harris said. "So I bounced out and was just thinking, 'Take my time. Don't just dive on it. Try to get it on a good hop.' But I felt the guy beside me, so I just tried to shield him off. Once I recovered it, I was just thinking not to roll [and let it] pop out. Just keep the possession."

Harris showed up again late in the half.

The Bears forced a Vikings punt, and as Jeff Locke's 40-yarder came down for Bralon Addison, Addison muffed the punt, making it a live ball.

Harris attempted to land on the ball and keep it in bounds, allowing Jayron Kearse to ultimately fall on the pigskin and once again return possession to Minnesota. Like the Griffen recovery for a touchdown, Harris said the play was a reflection of the type of team ball they aim for each week.

"Whether it's defense, special teams, we just [strive to] work together, work as a unit," Harris said. "The season didn't go how we wanted it to go, but it just shows the perseverance to keep fighting each week and battle as hard as we can for as long as we can. So we thought today was important to come out here, play as hard as we can and get a win here on our home field."

The Vikings final forced turnover came at the hands of Trae Waynes, who snagged his fourth career interception and third of the 2016 season in the third quarter.

Following the game, Greenway said he was proud of the way the defense played through the final quarter and fulfilled the goal he had set for the unit.

"Our mentality was, 'We want to come out here and play our butts off,' because we wanted to end this thing with a win, regardless of what has happened," Greenway said. "It's just so much better going into the offseason with a win, regardless."