Bridgewater hoping Bears have fixed Soldier Field game clocks

The question set Teddy Bridgewater up perfectly to take a dig at how last year's Vikings-Bears game in Chicago ended.

What, Bridgewater was asked, makes playing at Soldier Field so difficult?

"I've only played there one year, but I know last year, the game clock going out made it difficult last year," Bridgewater said.

The game clock at Soldier Field went out for stretches during the Bears' 21-13 victory last November. They went out for good with 2:54 left in the game.

With 2:03 left, the Vikings took possession of the ball. They trailed by eight points, 21-13, with no timeouts and 66 yards to cover to get to the end zone.

Bridgewater didn't have a clock to look at. The referee announced the time remaining after each play.

"That was the first time I ever experienced anything like that," Bridgewater said today. "I think we could have handled the situation a little better. When you're not aware of how much time is left on the clock when you're down on the playing field, it forces you to make some decisions that you probably wouldn't have made if you were aware of the game clock or the play clock. I hope it doesn't happen again this year."

Bridgewater ended up throwing an interception in part because he thought it might be the final play of the game.

As coach Mike Zimmer has continually reminded them this week, the Vikings haven't won at Chicago since 2007.

"They have a great crowd," Bridgewater said of the Bears. "We have to play the way we play at home on the road. If we do that, I think we have a pretty good chance of going in there and just quieting the crowd."