Quick hits: 3 bright spots on rough day for Bears’ defense vs. Vikings

The defense struggled overall, but there were enough big plays to hang on for a 33-27 victory.

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NIchols got his fifth sack, making him second on the team to Khalil Mack.

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The Bears’ defense was highly suspect in the 33-27 victory against the Vikings, but it wasn’t all bad. Here are three bright spots on that side of the ball:

Quinn, finally. Outside linebacker Robert Quinn, the second-priciest free agent in the NFL last offseason, delivered a strip-sack on his first snap of the season. Then he went about 450 snaps without touching a quarterback. He ended that drought by smacking the ball loose from Kirk Cousins early in the second quarter.

Nichols keeps going. Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols is becoming an essential player. He had seven tackles, including a sack, and is second on the team with five sacks this season. And he’s costing the Bears only $824,870 against the salary cap.

Fourth-down stops. The Vikings went for it on fourth-and-one at their end of the field twice, and the Bears stopped them and cashed in with field goals both times. Nichols and fellow D-tackle John Jenkins stopped Dalvin Cook up the middle in the second quarter, and Brent Urban’s pass rush with two minutes left forced Cousins into an incomplete pass.

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