LAKE FOREST (WBBM Newsradio) -- The Bears (2-1) were back to work Thursday as they prepared to host the Vikings (2-1) at Soldier Field on Sunday.
Here are the notes and observations of the day.
-- Given defensive lineman impact on the Bears' run defense, there's concern after he missed a second day of practice with a sore knee. "You hope that you have him," coach Matt Nagy said. "Regardless of who's out there, they're good at what they do running the football. We schematically need to be solid, and having Hicks out there certainly helps." Hicks may be a game-time decision Sunday.
-- Asking coaches to measure the impact that edge rusher Khalil Mack is having on the defense elicits verbose responses. Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano suggested that on 80 percent of Mack's snaps, he's either making the play or allowing another defender to directly make the play. "Off the charts," Pagano said.
-- Nagy went a step further on Mack's impact: "He's on another level right now. He affects every single play. It doesn't matter if he makes the play or not, he affects it. He dominates." Nagy believes Mack is making even more of a difference this year than last year, which was his first with the Bears.
-- The more Mack drives the defense, the more everyone wants to know more about what makes this man tick. "He leads by his actions," Nagy said. "He finishes every single rep in practice. It doesn't matter where the ball goes. He does it every play."
-- Mack prefers to discuss his teammates, not himself. He holds his interview Friday after practice. Forget about one-on-one interviews with him. They're not going to happen. In meetings, he's as quiet as a church mouse. "He doesn't say much," Pagano said. "He's a quiet guy, but he's taking it all in. He's always prepared. He's just a special, special dude. Great player, but he's a great teammate."
-- Mack's impact against the Vikings will have to check all the boxes against a diverse offensive scheme influenced by former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak. You will see a lot of stretch-zone, play-action snaps from the Vikings to get quarterback Kirk Cousins on the move, where he'll look to find dangerous weapons like receiver Adam Thielen, receiver Stefon Diggs tight end Irv Smith Jr. and tight end Kyle Rudoph.
-- The Vikings' running game is in good hands with Dalvin Cook. Injuries slowed the start of his career, but he's been dangerous when healthy. The Bears must not be lulled to sleep by stopping Cook for a handful of snaps, then having him gouge them for an 80-yard touchdown run. Cook is the NFL's rushing leader through three weeks.
-- Sunday marks Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's fifth career game against the Vikings, so he knows what to expect from their defensive personnel. The unit is largely unchanged, with the tweaks coming in how players are used. "They're more diverse this year in terms of fronts and a couple of different personnel packages," Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said.
-- Nagy made it clear the Bears offensive line isn't playing up to expectations. However, reserve offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas did earn high marks from Helfrich for his sudden insertion in the lineup replacing Bobby Massie (vertigo) in Chicago's win at Washington on Monday night.
-- Massie is good to go this week. Right guard Kyle Long returned to the injury report with hip soreness and didn't practice Thursday. Receiver Taylor Gabriel remains in concussion protocol. Kicker Eddy Pineiro didn't practice due to his right knee pain. Safety Eddie Jackson was limited with a sore shoulder.
-- There's no other way to frame Sunday's game than this: It's huge. A second home division loss for the Bears a month into the season would be an albatross. It would make it challenging to win the NFC North. Nagy is taking a measured approach to get his team mentally ready for the game. "You spread it out over the week," he said. "You hit different points of the game -- how we want to attack them and why it's important. And maybe in there, you sprinkle in the impact of a division game and the impact of playing at home."
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter @JeffJoniak.
