Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
It looked to me like Vikings running back Dalvin Cook actually congratulated Bears defensive back Kindle Vildor after the rookie made a tackle early in last Sunday's game. What exactly happened there?
Ross P.
Middleton, Wisconsin
Your eyes didn't deceive you. After cornerback Kindle Vildor made an excellent open-field tackle on Dalvin Cook on the first possession of last Sunday's game in Minnesota, the Vikings star congratulated the Bears rookie. During his video conference with the media this week, Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano laughed when discussing what transpired, saying: "Kindle got up and thought he was going to talk some trash to him and he was ready to bite his damn throat off, and he was actually telling him, 'Nice job, kid. Nice tackle.' You could see Kindle, he was in his grill, and then he was like, 'Oh, OK, yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you.' It was pretty cool."
I was excited to see David Montgomery get 32 carries against the Vikings (and run for 146 yards). I know the NFL has become a much more pass-oriented league over the last couple decades, but I was wondering how many times Walter Payton had at least 32 rushing attempts in a game?
Robert G.
Downers Grove, Illinois
Bears legend Walter Payton had at least 32 rushes in 14 games during his illustrious 13-year NFL career. The most he ever had was 40 when he set a league single-game record that has since been broken by rushing for 275 yards Nov. 20, 1977 in a 10-7 win over the Vikings at Soldier Field. Here are some more interesting tidbits about the 14 games in which Payton had at least 32 carries: The Bears went 11-3, he rushed for at least 146 yards nine times, he scored 18 total touchdowns and he topped 100 yards in all but one contest.
When (if ever) have the Bears played a team that has lost 13 straight games like they will do Sunday in Jacksonville?
Evan C.
Valparaiso, Indiana
It hasn't been as long as you probably think. The Bears beat the Browns 20-3 on Dec. 24, 2017 at Soldier Field, dropping Cleveland's record to 0-15. The Browns completed just the second 0-16 season in NFL history a week later when they lost to the Steelers 28-24 in Pittsburgh.
Chalk Talk features fan questions multiple times each week. Email your question to Larry.
