Postgame analysis: Bears 28, Vikings 10

While the Chicago Bears got Jay Cutler back at quarterback, it almost seemed like they lost everyone else. Still, they dominated the Minnesota Vikings for a 28-10 victory Sunday at Soldier Field.

The Bears (8-3) had their longest injury list of the season, although it didn't seem to matter much when players like RB Matt Forte, WR Devin Hester and CB Charles Tillman went to the sidelines because Cutler quickly took matters into his own hands -- and quickly put the ball in WR Brandon Marshall's hands. Cutler completed 15 of 17 passes in the first half when the Bears built a 25-3 lead, and this was following a week in which he didn't go through a single full practice due to the concussion he suffered Nov. 11.

The victory settled down what seemed a complete state of panic in Chicago after the team had lost two straight, and it allowed the Bears to regain sole possession of first place in the NFC North after the New York Giants walloped Green Bay. It also dealt a severe blow to the Vikings' chances at a wild card or the division title. They are 6-5 and still have to play Green Bay twice, the Bears and Houston.

The Bears line allowed only one 5-yard sack of Cutler and enabled the offense to control the ball for a season-best 37 minutes and 30 seconds while the defense took it away from the Vikings twice to set up scores -- once in the first half, again in the second half.

Despite losing Forte to an ankle injury and starting guards Lance Louis and Chris Spencer to knee injuries in the third quarter, the Bears ran it a season-high 39 times for 113 yards and Cutler found Marshall for 12 catches and 92 yards.

A sack of Vikings QB Christian Ponder by Henry Melton on the game's first play set the tone for a Chicago defense that held Minnesota to 258 net yards. Although the Vikings got RB Adrian Peterson his team-record fifth straight 100-yard game, his day started out poorly when he missed the team bus to the stadium from the hotel, then was held to 25 first-half rushing yards before getting 83 meaningless yards in the second half for 108 total. Worse, he lost two fumbles.

Minnesota continued to show little ability to mount a passing attack with WR Percy Harvin out a second straight game due to an ankle injury. The Vikings had 159 passing yards from Ponder (22 of 43, 58.2 passer rating), and they had only one pass play longer than 13 yards.

When the game turned: Peterson's lost fumble on a hit behind the line by strong-side LB Nick Roach that Tillman recovered at the Minnesota 34. It came after the Vikings had taken a 3-0 lead and set the Bears up for a short drive to the go-ahead TD. The Vikings never were tied or ahead after that.

Highlight moments: Cutler's 15-yard bullet over the middle between defenders to TE Kellen Davis at the Minnesota 1-yard line to set up RB Michael Bush for the game's first TD, and Cutler's 13-yard rollout TD pass to diving TE Matt Spaeth in the second quarter. ... Cutler's scramble for 6 yards and stiff-arm of Vikings CB A.J. Jefferson, before tossing the ball to Jefferson and getting a 15-yard penalty for taunting. The Bears had been missing Cutler's competitive style in the offense. ... Melton's 9-yard sack of Ponder on the first play from scrimmage, which set the tone for the Bears defense on the play. ... Roach stripping the ball from Peterson and Tillman recovering at Minnesota's 34 to set up the first Bears TD. ... S Chris Conte picking off an overthrown Ponder pass and returning it 35 yards to set up a Bears TD in the second quarter. ... A blocked 30-yard field goal by Bears DE Julius Peppers in the early second quarter that kept the Vikings from pulling within 10-6. ... The cheap shot, blind-side block DE Jared Allen threw high on Louis that led to his knee injury on Antoine Winfield's second-half INT return.

Top-shelf performances

Bears QB Jay Cutler -- 23-of-31 passing performance for 188 yards (86.5 rating) with a TD and one deflected INT. He also showed no hesitation to run, getting 9 yards on three runs despite coming off the concussion.

Bears WR Brandon Marshall -- 92 yards on 12 catches brought him to 1,017 yards for the season -- the sixth straight time he's gone over 1,000 yards, as he pointed out to the media and to teammate Jay Cutler.

Bears LB Nick Roach -- He not only caused a fumble but also had seven tackles as he got more playing time than normal because the Bears spent more time in their base defense as they worried about Peterson more than the Vikings passing game.

Bears punter Adam Podlesh -- He averaged 43.3 yards net per punt and also picked the ball up as a holder on a fake extra point and ran it in for a two-point conversion and an 18-3 lead in the second quarter. He put two punts down inside the 20.

What they said about Cutler's return

Cutler: "I felt confident about it. I felt good with the (neurological) test. I had no symptoms of concussion, so I felt good. It was a matter of going through the motions and talking to the doctors. I had a good week of practice."

What they said about Marshall's sixth straight 1,000-yard season

Marshall: "In the third quarter I leaned over to Jay and said, 'That catch puts me at 1,000 yards for six seasons in a row' and he looked at me and said, 'You're disgusting.'"

What the Bears said about bouncing back from the 49ers loss

Bears RT Jonathan Scott: "It was a redemption game from the standpoint of physicality, playing together, cohesively. Think it’s definitely a step forward."

What they said about Adrian Peterson missing the bus

Vikings coach Les Frazier: "There is something that Adrian and I need to talk about regarding getting to the stadium."

What they said about Allen's cheap shot on Louis, knocking him out of the game

Allen: "My condolences to him and his family. I never ever try to intentionally hurt anybody. I'm just trying to make a block and spring our guy down the sideline."

Numbers you should know: The Bears went 11 of 19 (58 percent) on third down conversions to effectively play ball control. 33 takeaways now for the Bears, tops in the NFL.

Injury update: Bears -- Hester (concussion), Forte (ankle), Louis (knee), Spencer (ankle), and Tillman (ankle) all will be day to day and their status updated later in the week. Forte limped off the field. Tillman's injury did not appear serious. Vikings -- They lost S Harrison Smith and TE Kyle Rudolph to possible concussions. Rudolph's loss would be a big blow to the offense as he has been one of their few dependable receivers. They'll undergo normal NFL concussion protocol.

Going forward: Bears -- They host Seattle in a battle of NFC playoff contenders at Soldier Field Sunday at noon. Vikings -- They are are at Lambeau Field for their first game against Green Bay this season in a noon start Sunday.

Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.