(670 The Score) The Bears (4-6) will host the Minnesota Vikings (8-2) on Sunday, with kickoff set for noon CT from Soldier Field.
Our 670 The Score pregame show with Mike Mulligan, Olin Kreutz and Patrick Mannelly will begin Sunday at 9 a.m. Our postgame show will begin around 3 p.m., just after the final buzzer. You can listen by clicking here or by downloading the Audacy app.
You can check out all of 670’s preview coverage of the Bears-Vikings matchup by clicking here. Below are game predictions from our 670 hosts, producers and writers.
David Haugh (6-4): Vikings 24, Bears 23
The Bears need to win a game they shouldn't. They need an effort that shows progress, reflects urgency and restores credibility. They need their offensive line to protect Caleb Williams, Williams to take shots down the field and the defense to rise up against a Vikings team full of playmakers. The Bears need to do a lot of things they haven't given us any reason to believe they can do. So it's just too hard to pick them. The Vikings are just more well-coached, and that matters.
Matt Spiegel (5-5): Bears 24, Vikings 17
Thank you, Sam Darnold, for the pick-six to lock this one in for the Bears. The Chicago offense plays hard for Thomas Brown.
Chris Tannehill (5-5): Vikings 27, Bears 24
I can’t in good faith pick the Bears to win any game the rest of the way. Although this is a winnable game against a good opponent, I believe this team is as broken as I am.
Chris Emma (6-4): Vikings 23, Bears 16
On paper, this is a terrible matchup for Caleb Williams against an aggressive, attacking Vikings defense. It’s hard to see the Bears finishing drives with touchdowns. Chicago suffers its fifth loss in a row.
Paul Pabst (6-4): Vikings 24, Bears 20
This will be low-scoring, as most Bear games are. This will come down to fourth-quarter mistakes. I did like some things from the Bears in their loss to the Packers, but I just don’t trust them to outplay the Vikings on both sides of the ball. And I trust the Bears coaching staff in tight games even less. The Vikes are a better team right now.
Evan Thomas (7-3): Vikings 27, Bears 20
No one expected the Vikings to be 8-2 coming into Soldier Field this Sunday, and most people didn’t expect the Bears to be 4-6 and reeling the past several weeks. The Vikings have a solid pass rush and a strong rushing defense. I see those being the deciding factors.
Alex Kuhn (6-4): Vikings 28, Bears 24
This will be the big test for new Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Can he help Caleb Williams get the ball out of his hands quickly against a Brian Flores-led Vikings defense that loves sending pressure? Williams will do a decent job of that, but once again, the Bears defense won’t hold.
Tyler Ferengul (6-4): Vikings 23, Bears 17
The Bears offense trended in the right direction last week, but it will have a tougher test against a Vikings defense led by Brian Flores, who absolutely loves blitzing quarterbacks. Caleb Williams did a good job in only getting sacked three times against the Packers, and he'll be lucky if he isn't sacked more this Sunday due to the aggressive nature and scheming of this Vikings defense. Thomas Brown better be ready to dial up a lot of play-action to get the athletic Williams moving around, and the Bears have to get the run game going. For Chicago defensively, it's all about defending one player. How much can the Bears contain Justin Jefferson? He's the best receiver in the league. Any time Jaylon Johnson is lined up one-on-one across from Jefferson, we should be treated with an additional view to watch the two go at it. The Vikings have big-play ability, and I fear that the Bears will once show some fight but that it won't be enough. It'll be another close loss for the Bears as Matt Eberflus’ seat grows hotter than it has ever been with his team falling to 4-7.
Robbie Triano (6-4): Vikings 24, Bears 17
Ever since Jayden Daniels threw that game-winning Hail Mary, the conversation surrounding the Bears has been centered around one person: Matt Eberflus. During the Bears' current four-game losing skid, it's clear that he's just terrible at being an NFL head coach. It's rare to find someone so elite at messing up every single decision in a key situation. But what if I told you that Eberflus is currently the perfect head coach for the Chicago Bears? If I was Ryan Poles, I'd be ecstatic that Eberflus was my head coach. Why? Because the goalposts have shifted on what this team needs to accomplish. Remember those preseason expectations of the playoffs? Yeah, those are six feet deep. The goal for the rest of the season needs to be focused on two areas: developing Caleb Williams and getting a high draft pick. And there's nobody else more equipped to do that job than Eberflus, the Bill Belichick of simultaneously tanking and developing. Thomas Brown is showing he can develop the Bears offense, while Eberflus' 5-17 record in one-score games shows that he’ll blow the game no matter how good Williams performs. While it sucks rooting to lose, it's exactly what the Bears need the rest of the season. However, the second this season ends, fire Eberflus directly into the sun.
Tyler Buterbaugh (5-5): Vikings 24, Bears 21
The Bears offense looked night-and-day different under Thomas Brown’s guidance last Sunday after the Shane Waldron era ended. Caleb Williams looked like the quarterback we all know he is, as he played freely and regained his confidence. With that being said, Matt Eberflus is still the Bears’ head coach, and that’s a big issue. Under Eberflus’ leadership, the Bears have blown way too many games late after holding win probabilities above 90%. He deserves much of the blame for the Bears’ loss to the Packers due to his clock management issues. I think it will be a good game, but I wouldn’t expect victory chicken.
Sean Sears (6-4): Bears 24, Vikings 20
This game will be decided by whether Caleb Williams can succeed against the Vikings’ aggressive defense. Williams has been solid against the blitz with an 81.3 passer rating when opponents send pressure, and the Vikings blitz on nearly 40% of their plays. And just two Sundays ago, we saw a bad Patriots team rack up nine sacks against the Bears. So why am I picking the Bears? Partially because I’m a meatball Bears fan but also because Williams looked really, really good against the Packers. Despite the Bears doing what they do, Williams got his team in position to win that game, keeping the final drive and the Chicago’s chances of a win alive with two incredible plays to recover from a third-and-19 situation. The last play of the loss to the Packers may have felt familiar to Bears fans, but what Williams did up to that point didn’t – and I think he builds off that performance against the Vikings.