(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Chicago Bears (4-9) face the Minnesota Vikings (6-7) at Soldier Field in a prime time contest tonight. WBBM Newsradio’s Jeff Joniak has the rundown.
OFFENSE
—The Bears are healthier on the offensive side of the ball than on defense, so the offense has to carry the load. There should be opportunities in both the run and the pass to get points on the board.
—The key here is how well the Bears handle the pressure packages and deceptive blitzes of head coach and play caller Mike Zimmer. Matt Nagy says it gets dangerous when the Vikings get teams in 3rd and seven-plus.
—Critical is staying on schedule and keeping the Vikings off balance with successful throws from a protected pocket from quarterback Justin Fields and getting a push up front on a run defense that can be gouged.
—Teams have run it on first down for 4.65-yards/carry on the Vikings, which ranks 25th in the league. Finding room to run up the middle might suit the Bears well, given the 5.01-yards/carry the Vikings give up in that area (31st in the league).
—You have a four-headed monster with David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Damien Williams and Fields — plus the fly sweeps with Jakeem Grant and Darnell Mooney to create a heavenly night of pounding the rock.
—That type of thinking may also benefit the Bears’ two starting tackles. Rookie Teven Jenkins makes his first NFL start after hitting the frying pan last week in a reserve role in Green Bay, while Germaine Ifedi is expected to come off of injured reserve and play for the first time in 10 weeks. Giving them run snaps vs. pass protection snaps might be best.
—Fields must identify where Vikings safety Harrison Smith is lined up and where he’s coming from. He’s always lurking, always making plays on the ball and is an outstanding blitzer. Same is true for linebacker Eric Kendricks, who is having an outstanding year with five of the Vikings’ league-leading 41 sacks.
—Fields will be tempted to work on the Vikings secondary, which has given up 49 pass plays of 20+ yards. This is 27th in the league but will need to be protected, and he will need to protect the football.
—Finding consistency and rhythm on offense and helping keep the defense off the field is absolutely critical for four quarters.
DEFENSE
—A year ago, the Bears played the Vikings with a banged up secondary and no Jaylon Johnson. This time, the entire secondary is wiped out. Who plays where, when, and why will be something to watch. With continuity and communication so important on the back end of a defense, it will be interesting to see what the concoction is and how they plan on stopping completions and big plays against a formidable offense.
—Limiting mistakes, making tackles and preventing explosives will be a significant task if the Bears’ front seven doesn’t harass hot quarterback Kirk Cousins. He is well-protected and protects the ball, and he is finding completions to not only star receiver Justin Jefferson but also big plays to K.J. Osborn and the steady possession excellence of Adam Thielen.
—Another addition to the mix is TE Tyler Conklin, a fourth-year vet from Central Michigan who is heavily targeted and has nearly 500 yards while collecting 21 first downs in the passing game.
—All that being said, the key to the whole night is stopping Dalvin Cook. The Vikings offense is built around and off of his excellence. Bad shoulder and all, he had cleared pathways to big plays in his last start against the Steelers. That can’t happen against the Bears’ front seven or it’s going to be a long night at Soldier Field.
—The Bears need many hats to the ball, and somehow create turnovers, something missing significantly this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
—Due to the large absence of injured and Covid-restricted players, the Bears special teams unit is thinned out and will rely on some new players on coverage and kicking units.
—A steady game for Cairo Santos on kickoffs banging it out of the end zone and making good on all his points opportunities will go a long way in helping the Bears.
—Twice in the last six weeks, Vikings KR Kene Nwangwu has scored touchdowns, and he is averaging 26.8 on his returns giving the Vikings the best starting field position after kickoffs in the NFL. Keeping it away from him with new players on coverage is an important storyline.
—The same is true for punter Patrick O’Donnell, who needs to have a flawless game to pin the Vikings deep and not allow a field position flip.
—Vikings kicker Greg Joseph is second in the league in touchback and kicks reaching the end zone, so he may keep it away from Bears KR Khalil Herbert. The Vikings have allowed only 13 kick returns for a league-low 269 yards.
—Can Jakeem Grant have an encore moment and take a punt back for a touchdown? Don’t dismiss the possibility, although after Grant’s coast-to-coast trot through Lambeau Field, he will have a bullseye on his jersey this week.
INTANGIBLES
—Shorthanded and frustrated, the Bears depth is completely thinned out. Mentally, the Bears have to be fixated on pulling together and pulling on the same rope to beat the Vikings.
—Maybe this will create a unique opportunity for a handful of players to think big, outplay the Vikings and pull the upset. It starts with a mindset, and if the mindset is good, the Bears will throw it out there and see what happens. If not, it could be a long night at Soldier Field.
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter @JeffJoniak.
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