The Bears will visit the Vikings Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Here are three things that should increase their chances of winning:
(1) Contain the Vikings' explosive offense.
Minnesota enters Week 15 on a roll, averaging 29.5 points in its last four games, including a season-high 42 in last Sunday's win over the Falcons.
Quarterback Sam Darnold is having a career year. In his last four games, he has thrown for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions with a 126.7 passer rating. He is the first quarterback in Vikings history to throw for at least two TDs with no interceptions in four consecutive games. This season Darnold's 11 wins as a starter, 28 TD passes and 108.1 passer rating are all career highs.
In the Vikings' 30-27 overtime win over the Bears Nov. 24 at Soldier Field, Darnold completed 22 of 34 passes for 330 yards, two TDs and a 116.1 passer rating.
On Monday night, the Bears will look to stop the run and put Minnesota in predictable passing situations, which should improve their chances of pressuring Darnold. Vikings running back Aaron Jones ranks 10th in the NFL in rushing with 893 yards and four TDs on 197 carries.
"What they've been able to do offensively, where their strengths are, are noted and we have to address those, starting with making sure that we make this team one-dimensional," said Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington. "The quarterback is having a great season. They have explosive ability outside on the perimeter. They run the ball efficiently. They get in and out of various personnel groups. So we have to make sure we have the call ready and that we have our cleats in the dirt with great communication and clear understanding of how to execute our concepts and we give ourselves the best chance."
The Bears were inside the Walter Payton Center Friday to continue their preparation for a Monday Night Football matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
(2) Effectively deal with Minnesota's blitzes.
Directed by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings blitz on 38.7% of opponent drop-backs, the highest rate in the NFL. Minnesota is tied for second in the league in quarterback knockdowns (54) and ranks fourth in sacks (40).
"This defense tries to dictate the flow of an offense," said Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, "makes it really hard when it comes to what you call, when you call it and having to always make alerts. [It's] having built-in answers within a play but also taking advantage of some spots to take some shots down the field."
In their matchup three weeks ago, the Bears excelled at handling Vikings blitzes. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers and helped the offense score 17 points in the fourth quarter, including 11 in the final :22 to force overtime.
Williams has not been intercepted in his last 255 pass attempts, the longest streak by an NFL rookie and any Bears quarterback in history. Since last being picked off Oct. 13 in a win over the Jaguars in London, he has thrown 11 touchdown passes, including seven in the last three games.
In four contests with Brown calling plays, Williams has completed 82 of 140 passes for 961 yards with seven TDs and a 96.2 passer rating.
The Bears will face a Vikings defense that ranks 17th in the NFL in total yards, second against the run and 29th versus the pass. Minnesota leads the league with 20 interceptions and is second with 27 takeaways, having generated at least one in every game, including five in its last two contests.
(3) Limit explosive plays on defense.
The Vikings are the only NFL team that boasts two players with at least seven receiving touchdowns this season in Justin Jefferson (75 catches for 1,170 yards and 7 TDs) and Jordan Addison (44-708-7), who combined to catch five TD passes in last Sunday's 42-21 win over Atlanta. Both are downfield threats capable of producing impact plays.
Jefferson is one of only four receivers in NFL history to compile 1,000 yards in each of his first five seasons and he's the third fastest to reach 7,000 career yards.
"I mean, he's a problem," Brown said. "I don't think anybody necessarily has a true answer how to stop elite players, so I'm not going to act like we have some magical formula because there is none. I think [it's] understanding of owning those matchups, winning one-on-one battles but also the mix of coverage is going to be a big part when it comes to how to try to keep those guys off balance. I think anytime you're talking about the passing game, the more you can impact the front and affect the quarterback, that obviously negates what a receiver can do."
The Bears limited Jefferson to just two catches for 27 yards Nov. 24, but Addison had eight receptions for 162 yards and one TD and tight end T.J. Hockenson added seven catches for 114 yards.
"[Jefferson] is an explosive player, but they have a balanced offense," Washington said. "They have other players that can really hurt you. The tight end position, the complementary receivers. Clearly, he's a person that can take the roof off, that can blow the top off the coverage, that can work in the underneath area. But at the same time, you can't sell out everything that you're doing to try and affect one player and then compromise what you have to do to actually get off the field and win a football game."
