Anybody with common sense knows you never read too much into what happened on the opening week of a season. Still, it is difficult not to be intrigued by the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. One team delivered a wild comeback despite losing their starting quarterback to a concussion. The other put on an offensive display that the franchise has never seen in over a century of existence. Does this mean the Vikings no longer need a consistent quarterback to win? Does it mean Chicago can score at will?
Probably not on both counts, but this game will determine a lot about which team is the more serious threat in the NFC.
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears backstory
This may not be the rivalry of the NFC North, but it’s close enough. The Vikings and Bears always play competitive games, and the same is expected this time. Both teams are coming off big wins. Both teams split the season series last year. Minnesota knows they have a golden opportunity to seize control of the division with a win, having already beaten Green Bay last week. Going 2-0 with both wins against division rivals is as good a start as you can ask for. By contrast, the Bears are starting a three-game home stand that can fuel their push to repeat as division champs. Urgency will be high.
Injuries:
RB Jordan Mason (thumb)
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As Aaron Jones has lost some juice with his advancing age, the Vikings needed somebody else to help carry the load in the running game. That was Mason. He’s been a pretty good player against the Bears, so losing him to IR is a pretty tough blow for Minnesota. It puts more pressure on Jones to perform after he managed just 3.3 yards per carry last week against Green Bay. If he can’t get it going on Sunday, it puts tons of pressure on quarterback Kyler Murray to perform coming off a concussion.
RT Darnell Wright (knee)
The All-Pro tackle was stupendous in the opener against Carolina, blowing open holes in the run game and keeping Caleb Williams protected. So, seeing him miss practice due to a knee issue was not ideal. Based on history, Wright will probably play. He’s tough and usually plays through pain. However, if he is out, it leaves a glaring hole in the offensive line. Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner went off last week for 9 pressures. His going against Theo Benedet would be a mismatch Brian Flores can’t wait to exploit.
Key matchups:
WR Justin Jefferson vs. CB Jaylon Johnson
Jefferson was the catalyst for the Vikings’ massive comeback last week against Green Bay. When he gets going, the entire offense goes with him. That is what superstars do. Minnesota is 3-1 against the Bears when Jefferson goes for 100 or more yards. The Chicago Bears know they can’t let that happen. Johnson will get the primary responsibility for covering him, which might make some people nervous. The former Pro Bowl cornerback struggled last week, allowing 127 yards through the air against Carolina.
TE Colston Loveland vs. FS Josh Matellus
Minnesota managed to shut down Green Bay in the second half last week, but it wasn’t easy. Their tight ends had considerable success finding openings. No player felt that wrath more than Matellus. Tucker Kraft and Jonnu Smith combined for 73 yards on just two catches against him. You can bet the Bears will recognize this from their film study and work to get Loveland matched up with the safety. Remember, Metellus is only 5’11”. Asking him to cover the 6’6″ Loveland is a recipe for pain.
X-factors:
MLB Blake Cashman
Flores is the most blitz-happy defensive coordinator in the NFL. To make that work, you need guys who are good at that. Cashman had 6 pressures on the quarterback last week, constantly getting in Jordan Love’s face. This has been a steady truth for over two years now. Teams that don’t account for where Cashman is almost always pay the price by seeing him shoot into the backfield. The Bears’ interior offensive line must not lose sight of him even once. Otherwise, those blitzes will do the same to them as they did to Green Bay.
RB D’Andre Swift
Looking back to last season, there was a key difference between the Bears’ loss to Minnesota in the opener and their win two months later. That was Swift. He averaged just 3.1 yards per carry in the loss and bumped that up to 4.3 in the win. Beating the Vikings’ defense is almost always dictated by how well you can run against it. Ben Johnson has known this from the start. Swift is off to the hottest start of his career. No doubt the Bears will hope to keep that going in this game.
Prediction: Bears win 27-24
Things always get weird between these two teams. They’re also almost always close games. This will be no different. Flores will manage to keep the Chicago Bears offense under 30 points, but they still play pretty well. Swift has a solid game, and Williams protects the football. The defense plays better than it did last week, containing Jefferson just enough to preserve a close victory at home.
