The Chicago Bears get a chance to wash away the stink left over from their Monday Night Football 4th quarter collapse as they take on the Minnesota Vikings in a key NFC North matchup at Minnesota on Sunday at 12:00 pm CST. This game will have a massive effect on the Bears’ probability of making the playoffs. Win, and their chances of making the playoffs spike to close to 66%. Lose, and they plummet to the mid-30s. The Bears, like most teams, have struggled on the road, with two of their three losses coming away from Soldier Field. Can the Bears set a glidepath for their first playoff appearance since the Mitch Trubisky era, or will they find themselves back among the pack, in a dog fight all the way into December? This is a pivotal game for both teams. Our WCG contributors give their predictions below:
GOOCH: Chicago 31, Vikings 10. The Bears lean heavily on the run game, producing short down and distance situations that limit Flores’ pressure scheme. The absence of Jonathan Grenard helps keep Caleb clean. Caleb throws for 250 yards passing and two scores, one to DJ Moore and the other to Loveland. KM and Swift both add TDs. Austin Booker and Sweat notch sacks, and they hurry J.J. McCarthy all day. McCarthy throws two interceptions, one of them to Byard. Bears surprisingly dominate on the road.
Josh: Chicago 27, Minnesota 24. Caleb has three good quarters and one where he really struggles against Flores’ creativity. Meanwhile, McCarthy plays just well enough that with the Vikings’ defense, things are close. The difference ends up being the run game.
TJ: 30-28 Bears. There will be stretches of this game where the depleted Chicago defense makes McCarthy look amazing and Aaron Jones look like his prime self. There will also be stretches where McCarthy makes the depleted Chicago defense look like a full-strength defense. The difference in another close one will be the Bears’ newly-developed run game.
Sam: Bears 24, Vikings 21. It’s going to be close but I think the Bears can win another nail-biter. The run game and the improved play of Caleb Williams will be enough to overcome McCarthy’s struggles. The defense looks bad at times, but manages a key takeaway or two to save points.
Jack R Salo: Bears 24-17. Neither team will get a functioning passing attack going until the second half, so it will be a battle of field position until scoring opens up in the 3rd quarter and the Bears hang on to win in a statement game for this defense.
Lester: Bears 27, Vikings 24, same score as week one, only this time the good guys win. Dennis Allen has some film on McCarthy, so I expect him to cook up some looks to confuse the young QB. The Bears will get down early due to Minnesota’s running game, but they’ll keep their composure, and Caleb has a big second half. A late Vikings touchdown won’t be enough as the Bears grind out the clock with Kyle Monangai to close the game.
