Surfer Gives Bears a Spark

CHICAGO —  Starting a game for the Chicago Bears was as much a rush for Chad Hutchinson as riding a big wave. Winning made it even better.

The California surfer dude gave a totally together performance Sunday in his first start for the Bears, throwing three touchdown passes to spark a 24-14 win over the Vikings.

“This was just sweet, coming here after not playing two months ago,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson was surfing when the Bears (5-7) called him in September after a season-ending knee injury to Rex Grossman. Since then he has been the third-stringer.

No more.

The former St. Louis Cardinal pitcher, who started nine games as a rookie for the Cowboys two years ago and played in NFL Europe, showed an ability Craig Krenzel and Jonathan Quinn lacked as fill-ins for Grossman. And he gave a previously moribund Bear offense that had one touchdown in the previous three games a spark. Hutchinson completed 18 of 30 passes for 213 yards.

“The best quarterbacks in the league are guys that have experience. NFL Europe helped me a lot. My rookie year helped me a lot,” Hutchinson said.

“It would have been hard to convince him that he wasn’t going to play good today,” Bear Coach Lovie Smith said.

The only look the Vikings (7-5) had was one of disappointment after losing a game to the Bears for the second consecutive December.

Daunte Culpepper, who had completed 70% of his passes before the game, was intercepted three times -- he had seven all season before Sunday -- and the Vikings were held scoreless in the second half.

Culpepper, who was sacked five times, completed 23 of 33 passes for 279 yards.