It was over when ...
Darren Sharper intercepted Kyle Orton's pass with under two minutes remaining to end the Bears' comeback attempt. Orton was going for a touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian, but threw the ball behind his receiver, who had to adjust his route, giving Sharper a chance to close and intercept the pass.

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Adrian Peterson was bottled up for most of the night but came through when it counted most. » Peterson highlights

Game ball
Running back Adrian Peterson was corralled by the Bears for most of the game but carried the Vikings in the second half with a pair of touchdown runs. Peterson followed Robert Ferguson's 71-yard reception with a 1-yard TD plunge in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings appeared content to settle for a field goal with the play call on third-and-goal from the 8, but Peterson -- who nearly fumbled the exchange -- burst into the end zone for the winning touchdown. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was all over the field, recording two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Key stat
The Bears were 1-for-14 on third-down attempts, giving the Vikings a 10-minute advantage in time of possession.

Noteworthy
The Vikings' victory eliminated the Cardinals, Eagles and Lions from the playoffs.