EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — With J.J. McCarthy struggling to find his touch and the Minnesota Vikings having put only one field goal on the board to show for their first three quarters, their first big break of the game last week came with a long punt return that gave them the ball at the Chicago 24-yard line.

Just two handoffs to Jordan Mason was all the Vikings needed to reach the end zone and cut the deficit to six with 12:33 remaining. That's the kind of uncharacteristically conservative approach they might well need more of while McCarthy goes through his growing pains five games into his NFL career.

Though the Vikings ultimately lost to the Bears 19-17 on Sunday after a particularly erratic performance by their 22-year-old quarterback, the effectiveness of their running game provided

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