Ditka Blames Harbaugh for Collapse : NFC: Bear quarterback changes play at the line and throws interception, starting Vikings’ rally to a 21-20 victory.

Jim Harbaugh messed with Mike Ditka’s team. And, Ditka says, it won’t happen again. Or else.

The Chicago Bears had a 20-0 fourth-quarter lead, the Metrodome crowd was completely out of the game and the Minnesota Vikings appeared to be beaten.

Then Harbaugh, who had played almost perfectly until that point, changed a Ditka-called, first-down play at the the line of scrimmage--the quarterback’s only audible of the game.

Harbaugh’s bad pass intended for Neal Anderson was intercepted by Todd Scott, who went 35 yards for the touchdown that ignited Minnesota’s 21-20 victory Sunday.

“I’ll just say this: ‘If it happens again, there will be changes made and they will be definite and they will be permanent,’ ” Ditka said. “I’m not going to put 47 players’ futures in the hands of one player who thinks he knows more than I do.”

After Scott’s interception with 14:03 to play, the Bears managed only two first downs. Minnesota’s offense, which had sputtered and had committed four turnovers, caught fire against a Chicago defense that entered the game as the NFL’s worst.

Rich Gannon completed all seven passes he threw during two touchdown drives, one capped by a 16-yard pass to Cris Carter and the other last capped by Roger Craig’s one-yard run.

Minnesota is 4-1 for the first time since 1977. Chicago (2-3) has a losing record after five games for the first time since 1983, Ditka’s second year as coach. The Bears have been outscored, 100-34, in the second halves of their last three games.

Gannon, whose two interceptions almost put the Vikings into an inescapable hole, empathized with Harbaugh.

“He played a great game,” Gannon said. “He just made one bad mistake. He didn’t go back out there on defense and give up two touchdowns.”

But Ditka didn’t blame the defense. And he didn’t wait until after the game to let Harbaugh know how he felt.

Immediately after Scott scored, Ditka was in Harbaugh’s face--cursing, screaming and gesturing wildly. Ditka’s tirade was shown on the Metrodome scoreboard as the crowd roared with delight.

While Harbaugh’s teammates didn’t blame their quarterback, Harbaugh made no excuses.

“It was a bad call, a bad audible,” he said. “It was my fault.”

Scott, who had three interceptions in the Vikings’ 42-7 victory at Cincinnati last week, conned Harbaugh into changing the play.

“I was baiting him,” said Scott, a converted cornerback whose emergence at strong safety led to the Vikings’ cutting former All-Pro Joey Browner. “We lined up in man-to-man, and I made it look like I was playing zone. I was looking at Harbaugh, and I knew he was going to Anderson.”

Harbaugh admitted that he had been duped. He also knew that his role as on-the-field leader might change. “I can’t audible anymore,” he said. “He’s the coach.”

For three quarters, everything was going Harbaugh’s way. His perfect 28-yard touchdown pass to Tom Waddle just before halftime made it 13-0, and it was 20-0 after Harbaugh’s six-yard run 10:27 into the third quarter capped a 91-yard drive in which he completed eight of nine passes for 77 yards.

FO Jim Harbaugh, who scored on a six-yard run, was having a good day before the roof caved in.