(Photo: Blitz Sports Media)
NFC Game Of The Week
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Vikings (1-0):
When they decided to sign Kyler Murray, I was on board with it because J.J. McCarthy isn’t ready yet for the NFL, and I even mentioned that they could sneak up on a few teams. Just imagine if they had decided to keep Sam Darnold, but there’s no need to revisit what already happened, so let’s move forward. I followed Kyler in college, and I still remember when he won the Heisman in 2018. But as a pro, he hasn’t had the best of luck, and I think that had a lot to do with the situation he was unfortunately in with the Arizona Cardinals. Now, he comes to Minnesota, and this is instantly the best scenario he’s been in as a pro. First, he has one of the best offensive-minded coaches in Kevin O’Connell, an elite receiver in Justin Jefferson, and a defense under Brian Flores that is one of the best in the NFL. Now, I want to say this: Kyler, if you’re reading this, use all these rules to protect quarterbacks to your full advantage! I was impressed with what I saw from the Vikings in Week 1, and they always appear to play the Packers tough, especially in Minneapolis. For a while, it looked as if Green Bay was going to run away with the game, but I saw the necessary adjustments, and they scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter en route to their first win of the season. I can’t say enough about Justin Jefferson, and what makes him elite is the fact that he’s caught passes from several quarterbacks and still continues to put up productive numbers. This Sunday, they will face another divisional opponent, this time on the road.
Bears (1-0):
59 points? I’ve seen my share of them over the years, but I’ve never seen them go off and explode for that many points in a game. I still remember the Jay Cutler days and the incompetence they had at coach with Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus. Yeah, I’m taking a stroll down memory lane. Ben Johnson was made to be a coach, and I love his football acumen because he wants to attack defenses at all angles. On Sunday in Charlotte, they moved the ball down the field with the ground attack, with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai each contributing 100 yards rushing, while Caleb Williams picked up where he left off last season. I expect no shortage of production from the Bears’ offense this year. That goes without saying. For as good as they were on one side of the ball, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I was concerned about their defense because they did allow 37 points. Honestly, that won’t be the only time they allow over 25 points in a game. How many times have I either said it on this website, Monday Evening Quarterback, or any show I contribute to? I kept saying I was worried about their defense because they are far too reliant on forcing takeaways, and when they aren’t creating turnovers, they struggle and give up way too many big plays for my liking. Their pass rush is also a bit too inconsistent for my liking. After that win on Sunday, Ben Johnson stated that he needed to be better, and remember, this is coming after his football team scored 59 points. That shows me he’s never content. The Bears will welcome their division rivals to town for their home opener.
Vikings X-Factor: T.J. Hockenson
This is a Minnesota offense with several weapons, and he’s one of them. Tight ends are chain movers, too, and they are specifically targeted on third downs or in the red zone to convert. T.J. was a big part of their win on Sunday, and I look for him to be another factor in Week 2 in Chicago. I have a feeling Carson Wentz is going to end up starting this game for Kyler Murray, and I expect him to target the middle of the field quite often. With Justin Jefferson attracting so much attention, T.J. then becomes the underneath/middle outlet.
Bears X-Factor: D’Andre Swift
Sunday in Charlotte showed me they can be a dangerous football team when they commit to running the ball, and D’Andre had the game of his life in that win with 124 yards rushing on 18 carries and three touchdowns on the day. I have a feeling Brian Flores and the Vikings defense will tend to overcompensate for Caleb Williams, and this will make D’Andre’s role so important for the Bears as they look to establish the run. I’d also pay attention to Kyle Monangai, as the Bears have two running backs who can change the dynamic of the game.
Final Thoughts:
Both of these teams won in different fashions in Week 1, but they won, which is the most important thing. These two opened up the season last year in Week 1 on a Monday night, and the Vikings stormed back to win the game in comeback fashion. There are a few things I’m watching in this particular matchup, with one being Caleb Williams facing this Brian Flores defense. Brian is known to apply pressure aggressively and will do all he can to contain the quarterback. Can the Bears’ offense remain explosive? Most importantly, can this carry over against a Minnesota defense that shut down the Packers in the second half last week? I’m also watching this Bears secondary against Justin Jefferson and how they choose to defend him. Can they do so without opportunities opening up everywhere else? The Vikings must contain Caleb without over-blitzing, establish Aaron Jones, and get the ball in the hands of Jefferson. The Bears must keep their run game going, attack Brian Flores’ blitz packages, and Caleb must avoid any negative plays. The biggest key is to make Minnesota defend the entire field while keeping Caleb out of too many passing downs. It’s an NFC North showdown here in Week 2.
Prediction:
Bears 33, Vikings 27
