Three takeaways from Vikings-Bears game

Pressed into action Monday night, cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. might have been the brightest spot in a bad situation.

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The Bears’ Teven Jenkins blocks the Vikings’ D.J. Wonnum during the second quarter Monday.

The Bears’ Teven Jenkins blocks the Vikings’ D.J. Wonnum during the second quarter Monday.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Three takeaways from the Bears’ loss on Monday night:

Jenkins flags

In the first significant playing time of his career last week, rookie left tackle Teven Jenkins committed two false starts and two holding penalties at Lambeau Field. Three of the four — all but one holding penalty — were accepted by the Packers.

On Monday night, he had three flags: holding on the first play of the game, a false start on third-and-one in the second quarter — in which he lined up on the right side before being corrected — and an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty in the third. He scrapped with a defender after quarterback Justin Fields was hit out of bounds.

Graham crackles

For all the Bears’ struggles at cornerback this season — they benched Kindle Vildor for Artie Burns and watched starting slot corner Duke Shelley head to injured reserve — it was curious that Thomas Graham Jr. never earned a promotion from the practice squad. Graham, after all, was a sixth-round pick this year. Pressed into action Monday, he might have been the brightest spot in a bad situation. He was credited with seven tackles and three passes defended. He undoubtedly has earned another chance to play next week, regardless of the health of his teammates.

Santos misses

Cairo Santos’ 49-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half was blocked by defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson’s thumb and landed harmlessly in the end zone. It was the second kick of 40-49 yards he has missed in his last five tries — the other being a 40-yarder he pushed left in Week 11 vs. the Ravens.

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