MINNEAPOLIS – If Sunday’s game in Minnesota is any indication, the ever-increasing void between the Bears and Vikings has become so expansive that it should be measured in light years.

In a mismatch that was comparable to a monster truck against a matchbox car, Minnesota destroyed its NFC North rivals in every facet of the game in cruising to a 36-10 victory at the Metrodome.

Jared Allen registered two of Minnesota's four sacks of Jay Cutler in the Vikings' 36-10 drubbing of the Bears Sunday.

The Vikings (10-1) held decisive advantages over the Bears (4-7) in total yards (537-169), first downs (31-8), offensive plays (83-38) and time of possession (40:55-19:05).

“We feel like crap today, there’s no way around it,” said an uncharacteristically blunt coach Lovie Smith. “It’s not a feel good that we have right now. But after a loss like that, that’s how it is.

“On days like today, there’s not a whole lot to say. We didn’t get a lot done. You have to give them a lot of credit. They’re a good football team. They definitely dominated us today.”

The reeling Bears have now lost four straight and six of seven.

“It’s tough,” said quarterback Jay Cutler. “As good a football team as I think that we have in here, to go out week after week and not live up to our own expectations, that’s the tough part.”

The Bears held Adrian Peterson in check, limiting the Vikings running back to 85 yards on 25 carries, an average of just 3.4 yards per rush. But Chicago’s defense was picked apart by old nemesis Brett Favre, who completed 32 of 48 passes for 392 yards with 3 touchdowns and a 112.5 passer rating.

“He’s a great player,” Smith said. “He’s a Hall of Fame player that played that way today. We didn’t meet the challenge that he and the Vikings [presented] today. It’s as simple as that.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Favre staked the Vikings to a 24-7 halftime lead by capping drives of 96, 80 and 70 yards with touchdown passes of 15 yards to receiver Percy Harvin, 10 yards to running back Chester Taylor and 6 yards to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

The Bears tied the score 7-7 on Cutler’s 24-yard TD pass to rookie Johnny Knox down the right sideline early in the second quarter. But that was the lone highlight for a Chicago offense that has mustered just two touchdowns in its last three games.

The Vikings scored 10 points in a 1:04 span midway through the period to take a 17-7 lead. After a Favre TD pass, Knox fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, setting up Ryan Longwell’s 52-yard field goal.

Cutler operated a no-huddle offense with efficiency on back-to-back possessions. He completed 5 of 6 passes for 54 yards on the TD drive, and then led the Bears to the Minnesota 23. But his underthrown pass intended for Knox in the left corner of the end zone was intercepted by cornerback Cedric Griffin.

Cutler threw his second interception of the game less than two minutes later. Linebacker E.J. Henderson drilled receiver Earl Bennett just as the ball arrived, and it was plucked out of the air by defensive end Jared Allen. Cutler now has a career-high 20 interceptions, the most in the NFL.

Cornerback Charles Tillman can hardly bear to watch after leaving Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a head injury.

The Vikings converted the interception into Favre’s third TD pass of the game and 24th of the season, giving Minnesota a commanding 24-7 lead with :17 remaining in the first half.

“We had a couple turnovers,” Cutler said. “You can’t do that against a team like this. They’re going to take advantage of that, especially with the talent they have on the offensive side of the ball.”

Knox made amends for his fumble by returning the second-half kickoff 77 yards to the Minnesota 8. But the Bears had to settle for Robbie Gould’s 38-yard field goal after Matt Forte was stopped for no gain, Orlando Pace was penalized for a false start and Cutler was sacked on back-to-back plays.

“We missed some opportunities that whole game and I think we’ve missed opportunities this whole season,” said Cutler, who completed 18 of 23 passes for 147 yards and a 71.6 passer rating.

The Bears were outgained in the second half by an embarrassing margin of 225-2 yards. 

The Vikings scored the game’s final 12 points on Longwell field goals of 37 and 20 yards, and Peterson’s 5-yard TD run. Chris Kluwe botched the hold on the extra point, but Minnesota didn’t need to pad its lead after generating four TDs and three field goals on eight possessions beginning in the second quarter.

“A good team takes advantage of bad plays by the opposing team,” said defensive end Alex Brown. “They see blood in the water and they go get it.”

Adding injuries to insult, the Bears lost Brown (leg), Pace (groin), linebacker Lance Briggs (knee) and cornerback Charles Tillman (head) during the course of the game. But they weren’t making excuses.

“We had some injuries that hurt us,” Smith said. “But I don’t think that had a whole lot to do with our play. We didn’t play well. We need to play a lot better. We’re hurting right now, but we have football left to go. We’re men. Men go through tough times sometimes, and that’s where we are right now.”

With their playoff hopes long gone, the Bears will limp back home to host the St. Louis Rams next Sunday at Soldier Field with readjusted goals.

“We’ve got to prove at least to ourselves,” Brown said, “that we can play better than we played today.”