Vikings try to get back on track at home against on-the-rise Bears after winning opener on the road

The Vikings were back to work on this week after a loss to Baltimore, preparing for a crucial showdown with the Bears on Sunday in Minneapolis.

The Vikings (4-5) are trying to rebound from a disappointing game Sunday that saw the offense take penalty after penalty on false starts.

So how are the Vikings looking to correct those mistakes?

"The communication on the front end, I feel like was the biggest thing for us, just making sure, going into the week everyone knows the cadences," says QB J.J. McCarthy. "Everyone knows which ones we're going to use, and sticking to that. There's a lot of different tempos and rhythms to my cadence that I have to clean up and make sure that we're all spot-on for every single play, and every single motion, and all those little things. But yeah, there's been a huge emphasis on just the little things, and that's one of the things we're hitting on."

It's hard to call games in mid-November "must wins," but if the Vikings drop this game against a division rival in Chicago (6-3), their playoff chances start to drift towards slim to none, and they'd fall behind not only the Bears, but the Lions and Packers too.

It also looks pretty likely two or three playoff teams will come from the NFC West, with former Viking QB Sam Darnold leading Seattle, and the team that bounced the Vikings from the playoffs last year, the LA Rams, looking like the conference's best teams so far at 7-2. Those two teams happen to play each other for the first time on this Sunday, but no matter that outcome, they have been on a roll.

Safety Josh Metellus knows the importance of taking care of business on Sunday if Minnesota is going to hang in there.

"I think division games alone bring a little extra oomph, and then when you talk about just our record in division and the way our season's been going, these division games just mean a little bit more," Metellus said this week. "In terms of just being able to keep us, you know, in the standings, obviously we're a week-to-week operation here. But you gotta look at the big picture and winning our division definitely helps our long term goals."

The Bears are one of those NFC North teams looking to play into January after a number of down years, with young QB Caleb Williams starting to find some wins and some success behind new Head Coach Ben Johnson. Currently, the Bears lead the NFC North along with the Lions at 6-3, where Johnson was the offensive coordinator before getting the Chicago job.

Minnesota, in a dramatic come-from-behind victory in Chicago in week one and a shocking win in Detroit are 2-0 in division play, which could give them a leg up if they can stay close in the race. That'll mean beating a beatable Chicago team, however.

The Bears might be 6-3 but a number of those wins are against teams that have really struggled. Johnson says his team has a few things to clean up just like the Vikings do.

"We want a team that will fight all 60 minutes, it's a group that believes in what we're doing as a coaching staff," Johnson explains. "They believe in what we have in the locker room, and that belief comes through each and every week right now. So we have a very resilient group. I think that's step number one. And then where we gotta get better is we gotta start taking control of these games a little bit more. We gotta play cleaner football."

Chicago (6-3) at Minnesota (4-5)

Sunday, 12:00 p.m. on Fox.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Vikings by 3.

Against the spread: Bears 5-4, Vikings 4-5.

Series record: Vikings lead 69-58-2.

Last meeting: Vikings beat Bears 27-24 in Chicago on Sept. 8.

Last week: Bears beat Giants at home 24-20; Vikings lost to Ravens at home 27-19.

Bears offense: overall (3), rush (2), pass (11), scoring (7).

Bears defense: overall (27), rush (24), pass (26), scoring (28).

Vikings offense: overall (24), rush (24), pass (22), scoring (22).

Vikings defense: overall (12), rush (22), pass (9), scoring (14).

Turnover differential: Bears plus-14, Vikings minus-7.

WR Rome Odunze. The ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft has become the clear go-to target for QB Caleb Williams in their second season together, leading the team with 37 receptions, 559 yards and six touchdowns. Odunze scored last week for the first time in five games and had 10 passes go his way from Williams, with six completions for 86 yards.

OLB Andrew Van Ginkel. The 2024 Pro Bowl pick, who missed five games to injury, has proven — when he's both on the field and off of it — himself as the defense's most vital player. Van Ginkel, who has four passes defensed and two sacks in four games, contributes a combination of instinct, speed and versatility to the Vikings that is instrumental against both the run and the pass.

Bears coach Ben Johnson vs. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Johnson's influence on Williams and the offense has been remarkable in his first season on the job, with the first overall pick in the 2024 draft producing just four turnovers over the first nine games. Johnson's play calling has prioritized the run, which Williams can do well himself either by design or on a scramble. The Vikings have been vulnerable on the ground this year, but the defense has been in prime form the last two games. The chess match between Johnson and Flores will go a long way toward determining the winner in this one.

Bears: LB T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) missed the last game. ... Odunze (ankle) and fellow WR DJ Moore (shoulder) are banged up, as is CB Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder). ... CBs Jaylon Johnson (groin) and Kyler Gordon (groin) are expected to return from injured reserve this season, though Johnson said Wednesday he’s not sure when.

Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy wore a wrap on his throwing hand and was limited in practice Wednesday after hitting it on a helmet after following through on a pass last week. ... OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder) didn't practice Wednesday, but has not been ruled out to play. ... TE Josh Oliver (foot) and S Theo Jackson (concussion) are on track to return from their absences. ... C Ryan Kelly (concussion) has been designated for return from injured reserve but uncertain to be activated this week.

The Vikings have won eight of their last nine against the Bears, tied for the third-best record in the NFL by a team against a single division. ... The Vikings are 40-25 all-time at home against the Bears, though the Bears have won four of the last seven matchups at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Bears have won six of their last seven for their best nine-game record since the 2018 team that won the NFC North started 6-3. Their wins have come against opponents that are currently a combined 15-41-1: the Cowboys, Raiders, Commanders, Saints, Bengals and Giants. ... The Bears are 4-1 in games decided by six points or fewer after going 2-7 in such games last season. ... Williams has directed four fourth-quarter comeback wins this season, tied for the most among NFL QBs. ... Williams is also on pace to become the first 4,000-yard passer in the founding NFL franchise's history. He has 18 games without an interception in two seasons, tied for the most in the league. ... Safety Kevin Byard and LB Tremaine Edmunds are tied for the NFL lead with four interceptions for the Bears. ... DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson has three sacks in two games since signing with the Bears. He was released this season by both the Texans and Ravens. ... Bears DE Montez Sweat has at least one sack in four straight games. ... The Bears lead the league with 20 takeaways, 13 interceptions and a plus-14 turnover margin, six better than the next closest teams. ... The Vikings are 1-3 at home. They were 6-1 at U.S. Bank Stadium last season, also winning in London when they were designated as the home team. ... McCarthy accounted for three TDs in the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Bears, the first player in NFL history to do so in his debut. ... McCarthy has seven turnovers in four starts, with at least one interception in each game. ... Vikings RB Aaron Jones has 167 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 23 touches over the last two games. He has not hit double-digit rushing attempts in five games this season. ... Vikings WR Justin Jefferson had only four receptions on 12 targets from McCarthy last week. He's averaging 13.5 yards per catch and 76.2 yards per game, both career lows for the sixth-year player. ... Vikings DL Jalen Redmond had a career-high eight tackles last week. He leads the team with four sacks. ... The Vikings defense has forced a three-and-out on nearly 28% of opponent possessions, the fifth-best rate in the league and the best in the NFC. ... Vikings safety Harrison Smith will play in his 200th game, the sixth player in franchise history to reach that mark for the club.

Will Reichard has made all of his kicks for the Vikings at home this season on 19 attempts, 11 field goals and eight extra points. His only misses were from 51 and 54 yards, in London in Week 5 and in Los Angeles in Week 8. Reichard has five of the six longest field goals in Vikings history and is tied with Evan McPherson (14) for the second-most field goals made from 50-plus yards in NFL history over a player's first two seasons, trailing Brandon Aubrey (24).