CHICAGO — Jay Cutler threw three touchdown passes and the Chicago Bears used a ball-control offense to dominate the Minnesota Vikings 21-13 Sunday and end a three-game losing streak.

It was the first home victory of the season (in four games) for the Bears, who a week earlier had become the first NFL team in 91 years to allow 50 points in successive games.

Minnesota, led by rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, never was a threat to score 50, or even many, points. The Vikings managed a first-quarter touchdown only because of a 48-yard run by backup safety Andrew Sandejo on a fake punt, which led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to tight end Rhett Ellison.

But despite Chicago’s domination, the game remained close because the Bears could not finish their drives and was not clinched until an end-zone interception by safety Ryan Mundy with 42 seconds remaining.

Four early penalties stymied them in the first quarter as the Vikings built a 10-0 lead. The Bears’ most promising drive ended with Robbie Gould missing a 47-yard field-goal attempt.

A second-quarter drive by the Bears essentially ended when Cutler was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for arguing with officials. Another drive, before the half, ended with one of Cutler’s two interceptions. And a third-quarter march to the Minnesota 34 ended with Cutler’s second interception, this one thrown while retreating with a rusher in his face.

While the Bears relied mostly on short passes, they did manage to hit a few big plays.

Cutler, who finished 31 of 43 for 330 yards, connected with wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on a 27-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter.

Later in the quarter, wide receiver Brandon Marshall out-jumped cornerback Josh Robinson in the end zone to catch a 44-yard pass from Cutler. And in the third quarter, a 32-yard run by Matt Forte led to a clinching touchdown — a 4-yard pass from Cutler to Marshall — on a drive on which the Bears converted a pair of fourth down plays.

The Bears piled up huge advantages in both offensive plays and time of possession in part by repeatedly converting third downs to keep their drives going. By the time the score got to 21-10 in the fourth quarter, the Bears had succeeded on 10 of 16 third downs, well better than their season average of a 41.8 percent success rate.

By that time, the Bears also owned an edge of more than 20 minutes in time of possession and 23-6 in first downs over the Vikings.

NOTES: Because of injuries, the Bears used a different combination of starters on the offensive line for the sixth game in a row. It was their seventh O-line combination of the season. … Minnesota scored a first-quarter touchdown for the first time in six games. … The game began in light snow flurries which abated by halftime. … The Vikings suffered injuries to two wide receivers — Greg Jennings (ribs) and backup Darius Wright (hamstring). … RB Matt Forte’s 32-yard run on the last play of the third quarter was the Bears’ longest rush of the season.