MINNEAPOLIS – Tommie Harris delivered in the clutch Sunday, forcing a key fumble that set up the winning touchdown in the Bears’ rousing 19-16 comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Facing a 16-12 deficit, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle knocked the ball out of Chester Taylor’s hands an instant after the running back had taken a handoff from quarterback Brad Johnson. Adewale Ogunleye recovered the fumble at the Minnesota 37 with 3:25 left in the game.

Tommie Harris forced a Chester Taylor fumble on this play Sunday, setting up the Bears' game-winning TD.

“We needed it,” Harris said. “I just had to step up and make a play. I saw the guard was sitting kind of light and I knew I had to get off the ball and get in the pocket. He pulled and I got behind him all I could get was to the ball and I tried to knock the ball out.”

“All day coaches were saying, ‘swipe at the ball, swipe at the ball,’” Ogunleye said. “They were holding it loose and it just came out. Tommie was able to get it out and luckily I was there to fall on it. He played a heck of a game and it was just like a gift sitting out there on the ground.”

The Bears parlayed their second takeaway of the day into Rex Grossman’s winning 24-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rashied Davis with 1:53 remaining.

“That was a great play defensively and then we were able to make a play on offense to win the game,” Grossman said. “That shows a lot of character about this team.”

After being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week following the first multi-sack game of his career in last Sunday’s win over the Lions, Harris had Chicago’s only sack against the Vikings.

With three sacks in three games, he has already matched his total from all of last year when he was elected to his first Pro Bowl. The 2004 first-round draft pick from Oklahoma registered a career-high 3½ sacks as a rookie.

Tracking Moose: Part of the reason that Davis was open for the game-winning TD may have been because the Vikings were double-covering Muhsin Muhammad. It was seemingly a logical decision given the fact that the veteran led all receivers with nine catches for 118 yards.

“I think they were definitely thinking about the ball going to Moose,” said coach Lovie Smith. “That’s why you need a third receiver to step up in those situations.”

“I had a couple guys jump me on that play,” Muhammad said. “It was just a good call. I think our offensive coordinator was definitely saving that play. You always have one in the bag.”

Solo act: Running back Cedric Benson dressed but did not play. Thomas Jones handled the entire workload, rushing for 54 yards on 18 carries and catching three passes for 11 yards.

Jones’ 17-yard run set up Robbie Gould’s third field goal, a 31-yarder that gave the Bears their first lead of the game at 9-6 with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter.

Jones’ best run may, however, may have been a 2-yarder on fourth-and-one that led to Gould’s 41-yard field goal on Chicago’s opening possession. On a pitch to the left, the veteran running back patiently waited to follow fullback Jason McKie’s block before picking up the first down.

Bad start: When Ryan Longwell’s 31-yard field goal gave the Vikings a 3-0 lead on the game’s opening possession, it marked the first time this season that the Bears had faced a deficit. Chicago had not trailed in its first two games, outscoring the Green Bay Packers (16-0) and Detroit Lions (24-0) by a combined 40-0 in the first half. 

Roster notes: Wide receiver Airese Currie (shoulder), safety Chris Harris (ankle) and defensive lineman Israel Idonije (ankle) missed Sunday’s game with injuries. Wide receiver Justin Gage, defensive tackle Antonio Garay, offensive lineman Anthony Oakley and fullback J.D. Runnels were also inactive. Vikings receiver Marcus Robinson, who played six seasons with the Bears from 1997-2002, sat out with a hamstring injury.