Bears top Vikings but at costly price

CHICAGO — The Bears beat the Vikings in an important NFC North game and one that kept the pressure on the Packers in the division race.

But did the Bears’ win come at a serious price?

The walking wounded following the game, impacting the defense, offense and special teams seriously:

CB Charles Tillman, stripper of footballs, hurt his ankle in the first half. OLs Lance Louis and Chris Spencer, parts of a new O-line brigade this week, both went down. Re-enter benched Gabe Carimi, who slid inside from right tackle to Louis’ ORG spot. RB Matt Forté walked off very gingerly following an ankle injury — the same ankle he injured in Week Two against the Packers, which caused him to miss Week Three — and didn’t return. RS-WR Devin Hester, a noted Vikings killer, left with a concussion before he could make his mark.

Typically tight-lipped Bears head coach Lovie Smith offered few answers about the Bears’ sudden rash of injuries.

“I normally don’t write down injuries on a sheet, but there were so many I had to remember them all,” Smith said. “Don’t know the extent of the injuries, except they were unable to come back in the game.”

Still, there were a ton of positives for the Bears, no doubt. As many as there were negatives for the Vikings.