Vikings 13, Bears 9

The Vikings closed their 2014 season today with a 13-9 win over the Bears in Minneapolis.  The Vikings finished the season with a 7-9 record.  That's 2 more wins than last year, while that's not a giant leap it was hard not to notice improvement out of this team from last year, they were a couple late collapses away from a 9-7 record.  I really like the direction they are headed, the coaching was much better, Teddy Bridgewater showed a great deal of promise and the defense was vastly improved.   I honestly wouldn't have minded a close loss and the better draft position it would have brought but there is also something to be said about closing out on a winning note.

Observations:

• I really love Teddy Bridgewater's poise in the pocket, he's got a future in this league.  
• The Vikings were 8-15 on third down conversions.  Not bad!  
• How was Audie Cole not playing ahead of Jasper Brinkley again?  He was a beast. 
• There is certainly a place on this football team for Matt Asiata.  
• Xavier Rhodes has the looks of a shutdown cornerback! 
• So long Christian Ponder, best of luck in your next destination. 
• Gerald Hodges showed some flashes at LB today.  
• It was nice to see Matt Kalil finish the season with several strong games. 
• How can you not pull for guys like Marcus Sherels & Adam Thielen?  
• Here's hoping that Cordarrelle Patterson received a wake up call this season. 
• These Xavier Rhodes & Corey Wootton GIF's are hilarious. 
• I hope the Vikings find a way to bring back Greg Jennings, Matt Cassel & Chad Greenway.
• It'll be interesting to see how the Adrian Peterson situation shakes out.  
• 4th Down Bot thinks the Bears should have gone for first down vs the field goal attempt. 
• Viking draft needs:  WR, OL, LB, CB, S, RB
• We are now one year closer to the Vikings new stadium! 
• I strongly suspect that this was Marc Trestman's last game as the Bears head coach.
• Up next?  The 2015 NFL Draft on April 30, 2015.