Beating up on the Carolina Panthers was a fun way to start the season for the Chicago Bears. However, they know much bigger challenges await them. It starts this Sunday when the division rival Minnesota Vikings come to town. Leading the way is defensive coordinator Brian Flores, highly regarded as one of the best in the NFL. Head coach Ben Johnson struggled to generate much offense in the two meetings last year, managing just 17 and 19 points, respectively. After watching Minnesota hang 39 on the Packers in week one, it’s safe to say the Bears will need more than that to win this game.
Thankfully, some recent Vikings injury news might improve their odds somewhat. It was announced that running back Jordan Mason will go on Injured Reserve with a broken thumb. This is a big loss for them. Mason was by far their steadiest presence in the running game last season, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. The Bears certainly know that. Mason had 113 yards on 21 combined carries with a touchdown in the two meetings last year. This puts much more pressure on a 32-year-old Aaron Jones to carry the load. His 3.3 yards per carry last week against Green Bay doesn’t offer much hope.
The Chicago Bears are also watching the QB situation.
Original starter Kyler Murray left the opener early last week due to a concussion. His status for Sunday is up in the air. He hasn’t cleared the protocol. Typically, players take around nine days to fully recover. That means his status is a coin flip. If he’s out, that means the Bears will face Carson Wentz. The former Pro Bowler was rough last season, filling in for J.J. McCarthy, throwing 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He certainly played well against Green Bay, throwing 3 touchdowns and leading four unanswered touchdown drives to finish the game.
Much depends on how the Bears’ defense performs. Wentz does not respond well to pressure. He was sacked 3 times by Green Bay. He was saved thanks to some great plays made by Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson. If Chicago can at least contain one or both of them, it may force Wentz to hold the football, allowing the rush to set in. It will be even better if Mason’s absence hurts the run game as much as it could. After what happened last week, this defense has plenty to prove. Nobody wants to be viewed as the weak link of the football team.
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Johnson vs. Flores will decide the outcome.
The chess match these two have is always a must-watch. Flores got the better end of it last year despite the teams splitting the series. You can bet Johnson hasn’t forgotten that. In their first four showdowns, he scored 30 or more points each time. He knows he can overcome that hyper-aggressive approach Flores loves. It’s a matter of crafting a game plan that ensures the players execute well. No major breakdowns in protection. Good communication. If you do that, even the Flores system can be solved.
Much of this will hinge on the running game. Minnesota has usually been good at stopping it. If the Bears can get it going, the Vikings will be in big trouble. They were 4-7 last season when allowed 120 yards or more on the ground. The Bears had 119 in their loss and 140 in their victory. Limiting the number of times Caleb Williams has to face that blitz is paramount.
