MINNEAPOLIS — With a lopsided loss at home and a late rally that fell short on the road, the Minnesota Vikings were handed their first two-game losing streak of the season by a pair of NFC powers.

They have the next two Sundays to re-establish themselves as a contender and stay on course for the playoffs, starting this weekend with the Chicago Bears.

“I’ve kind of admired teams throughout the past that they get beat and they go on, they win, they go on,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “So that’s kind of really been our mindset about the things we have to do.”

Zimmer’s old boss and mentor, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, had a term for this.

“He didn’t want to have a yo-yo football team, up one week and down the next,” Zimmer said. “He wanted the same guys all the time, and when we come out to practice we’re pretty much the same guys. You want to know each and every day when you come out. We had a couple setbacks obviously, but it’s time to get back on track.”

The Vikings (8-5) actually rebounded last week at Arizona, despite the 23-20 defeat. With an injury-depleted defense and three days to recover from a 38-7 drubbing by Seattle, the Vikings revived their passing attack and came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter before Teddy Bridgewater fumbled in field-goal range on a sack in the closing seconds. They started a franchise-record six rookies in that game, including first-round draft pick Trae Waynes at cornerback for the first time.

With a two-game lead on the closest competitors in the NFC wild-card race, the Vikings remain in prime position for a spot in the playoffs. If they beat the Bears and New York Giants at home the next two weeks, they’ll clinch a berth, no help needed. Then the rematch in Green Bay against the Packers would be for the NFC North title.

The calendar turn to December has brought angst for the Bears (5-8) as well. Despite continued success by long-maligned quarterback Jay Cutler, they dropped consecutive close games at home to teams with losing records, San Francisco and Washington. The Bears have been beaten by six points or less five times, twice in overtime.

“We are who we are, but we’re a lot closer than some people think,” coach John Fox.

Here are five angles to know about the game:

 

Secondary surge

The Bears have allowed the second-fewest yards passing in the league, behind Denver, after giving up the third-most last season. They stymied the Vikings on Nov. 1 until a late rally by Bridgewater, who had 106 of his 187 yards passing in the final 5 minutes in a 23-20 victory.

“If we’re on the same page, then we’re going to create a tough battle for ‘em,” Bears cornerback Tracy Porter said.

 

Running tandem

Matt Forte hurt his knee in that last Vikings-Bears matchup, and after missing three games he has returned to a job share of sorts with rookie Jeremy Langford. Over the last three games, Forte has 46 carries and Langford has 35.

“Both of them are I think really good backs,” Zimmer said. “The offense is similar when both of them are in there.”

 

Missed kicks

Robbie Gould, the Bears franchise leader in career scoring and several other categories, has had some costly misses lately. The ninth-most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history is just 11 for 17 over the last seven games. His 36-yard try at the end of regulation against San Francisco was wide left, and the Bears lost in overtime. His 50-yard attempt after the 2-minute warning against Washington was wide right, and the Bears lost by three points.

 

Middle man

The Vikings played at Arizona without four starters on defense, none more valuable than nose tackle Linval Joseph, who could miss his third straight game with a toe injury. Sharrif Floyd moved over to take Joseph’s spot, and Tom Johnson started in Floyd’s usual under tackle position. That’s where Floyd would rather be, with Joseph next to him.

“Losing him has been huge over the weeks,” Floyd said. “I’ve been talking to him every day: ‘Please come back. I understand you’re out. I’ll give you my toe. Or at least give me 10 of your pounds because, boy oh boy, I respect your job.”’

 

Brooms, Bears

The Vikings haven’t swept the Bears since 2007. This is the ninth straight year that Chicago has visited Minnesota in Week 12 or later, with Nov. 29 the earliest date in this stretch. This will be the third time in that span the game is played outside, including the 2010 matchup that was diverted to TCF Bank Stadium, the temporary home for the Vikings the last two seasons, because the Metrodome collapsed during a snowstorm.