The Minnesota Vikings running back punched it in during the second quarter to give the team a 14-0 lead in their Week 17 matchup with the Chicago Bears.
Latavius Murray was the first player to get a touchdown on Sunday for the Minnesota Vikings and a few drives later, he found himself celebrating his second trip to the end zone against the Chicago Bears.
After scoring on their opening drive of the game, the Vikings were only able to run five plays the next time their offense took the field. However, Minnesota made up for their missed opportunity when the offense got the ball for the third time on Sunday.
Starting at their own 33-yard line, the Vikings marched 71 yards down the field on an 11-play drive that resulted in a Murray one-yard touchdown and the team taking a 14-0 lead.
CHOO 🚂 CHOO 🚂
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 31, 2017
That's ✌️ for @LataviusM. #CHIvsMIN pic.twitter.com/5W5qcnFvw9
Minnesota’s biggest gain on the drive actually came from a penalty against the Bears. Facing a 3rd and 4 on Chicago’s 25-yard line, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum tossed a deep pass in the direction of Minnesota receiver Jarius Wright. Wright was unable to come up with the catch, but he did cause Bears corner Bryce Callahan to draw a flag for defensive pass interference and give the Vikings the ball on Chicago’s 1-yard line.
One play later, Murray took a carry up the middle for his second touchdown of the day.
With his score in the second quarter, the Minnesota running back now has a total of eight rushing touchdowns this season. This is also Murray’s second multiple-score game of the year. The first time he did this in 2017 came when he found the end zone twice in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Next: Vikings open Week 17 with a touchdown
The veteran running back has been a big part of the Vikings seeing a big improvement in their rushing attack from a season ago. After ranking dead last in the NFL in rushing last year, Minnesota had the league’s eighth-best run offense heading into Week 17.