Tuesday 10 October 2017 12:22, UK
Mitchell Trubisky was beaten on his first career NFL start as Minnesota Vikings kicked a late field goal to edge past Chicago Bears 20-17 on Monday Night Football.
Trubisky played well enough on debut - the No 2 overall pick in the 2017 Draft completed 12 of 25 passing for 128 yards with a touchdown, and one interception.
The interception would ultimately prove to be a game-deciding one. It came with the scores level at 17-17 in the final couple of minutes and gifted the Vikings terrific field position at the Bears 28-yard line for Kai Forbath to ultimately kick the winning three points with 16 seconds left.
Case Keenum led Minnesota on three second-half scoring drives after starting QB Sam Bradford's troublesome left knee flared up again.
Sidelined the previous three games because of swelling and soreness in his surgically repaired left knee, Bradford aggravated the joint when he was tackled in the first-half and would only complete five of 11 passes for 36 yards, being sacked four times, including for a safety by Leonard Floyd.
Keenum replaced Bradford with 25 seconds left in the first-half and went 17 of 21 for 140 yards and a touchdown as, with the score just 3-2 at the half, both offences opened up after the break.
Keenum hit tight end, and Sky Sports columnist, Kyle Rudolph for a 13-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, before the Bears hit back with a touchdown off a fake punt - Pat O'Donnell passing to a wide-open Cunningham.
Jerick McKinnon had a 58-yard touchdown run for Minnesota as they re-took the lead, but Trubisky's first NFL TD levelled the score - thanks to a successful two-point conversion - only for his costly interception late on to see the Vikings (3-2) beat the Bears (1-4) on the road for just the third time in 17 games.
