From Cris Carter to Justin Jefferson, Vikings receivers show love to Randy Moss during Bears game

Vikings receivers past and present showed love for Vikings legend Randy Moss during Monday night’s 30-12 victory over the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Moss, the 47-year-old Hall of Famer, recently revealed he underwent surgery to remove cancer from his bile duct. Former receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed joined Vikings captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss, hoisting a purple Moss jersey in the air.

After catching a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter, receiver Justin Jefferson yelled into the camera, “We love you, Randy!” Jefferson said he sent Moss a text message after the cancer announcement.

“I definitely wanted to give a tribute to him,” said Jefferson, who had seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. “Grateful for what he has done for this game and what he’s done for me as a kid just watching him and being a fan.”

Moss said that on Thanksgiving he had a two-hour operation in which a stent was put in his liver because waste was escaping into his urinary tract. Cancer was found in his bile duct between his pancreas and his liver. The surgery to remove the cancer is called a “Whipple procedure” and took six hours. The surgery removes the head of the pancreas, part of the small intestine, the gallbladder and the bile duct.

“LUV U ALL!” Moss posted on social media during the game.

Jefferson could’ve had a second score, but he dropped a pass while wide open near the goal line.

“Won’t sleep good at night thinking about that second touchdown,” Jefferson said. “It’ll have to wait until next week, I guess.”

Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill said “everything is structurally good” with his right knee after it was injured in the first quarter. He underwent X-rays before finishing the game with a compression sleeve over the joint.

O’Neill, the team captain, initially went down in the first quarter when he was hit in the back of the legs during a run by Aaron Jones. He returned but then left again before halftime after getting hit in the same area. He was twice replaced by tackle David Quessenberry.

“It was tightening up a little bit,” O’Neill said, “and I was like, ‘I can deal with this.’ And then I got rolled up on again. … I’ll probably be sore [Tuesday], but I should be good.”

Coach Kevin O’Connell ran onto the field when O’Neill hit the turf, underscoring the importance of O’Neill’s health to a line that already needed to replace left tackle Christian Darrisaw with midseason trade acquisition Cam Robinson. And Robinson did not have his best game with the Vikings. He drew four flags for false starts and an illegal formation.

Punter Ryan Wright said he cleared a concussion evaluation after getting rocked by Bears defensive lineman Dominique Robinson during a blocked punt when linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill appeared to miss his assignment.

“But my back is already tightening up,” Wright said afterward.

The Vikings defense entered Monday night ranking No. 1 in the league on fourth downs, and Bears running back D’Andre Swift found that out during the first quarter. Chicago’s first possession ended in a turnover on downs after Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery defeated blocks and corralled Swift for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play at Chicago’s 39-yard line.

Linebacker Blake Cashman later met Swift at the line for another fourth-and-1 stop. Minnesota has allowed just nine of 28 fourth-down attempts (32%) to be converted this year.

Greenard later forced the Vikings’ 28th takeaway of the season (trailing only the Steelers’ 30 for the NFL lead) with a strip-sack on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Greenard sped around new Bears left tackle Kiran Amegadjie, who made his first NFL start for injured Braxton Jones (concussion).

Williams entered Monday night with an active streak of 255 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the longest such streak by a rookie in NFL history. The Bears also played without starting defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (knee) and running back Roschon Johnson (concussion).

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who was listed as questionable entering the game, did not appear close to returning Monday night. Gilmore missed a second straight game because of a Dec. 1 hamstring strain that has limited him to one practice, on Saturday, since exiting the win over the Cardinals. He did not appear to go through a pregame workout.

Gilmore, a 34-year-old veteran in his 13th season, had played 85% of the team’s defensive snaps through 12 starts before his injury. The Vikings continued to lean on cornerbacks Shaq Griffin and Fabian Moreau in elevated roles.

Vikings fans are making their voices heard before their portion of Pro Bowl voting closes Dec. 23. The Vikings have received the fourth-most votes as a team across the league with 11 players ranking top-five at their positions in the conference.

Jefferson, outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., and long snapper Andrew DePaola rank No. 1 at their positions, followed by Greenard (second), fullback C.J. Ham (second), special teamer Trent Sherfield (second), free safety Camryn Bynum (fourth), strong safety Josh Metellus (fourth), quarterback Sam Darnold (fifth) and center Garrett Bradbury (fifth).

There’s a week left for fan voting, which accounts for one-third of results. Players and coaches vote Dec. 27.

The stars were out at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night.

Hall of Fame former Twins catcher and first baseman Joe Mauer sounded the Gjallarhorn before kickoff. Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Olympic medalist Sarah Bacon, a former Gophers diver, sounded the horn before the start of the second half. And Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was in attendance to watch her husband, Bears safety Jonathan Owens.