The Bears face another tough test against a division opponent. Can they end their losing streak?
Coming in as losers of four straight games, the Chicago Bears are desperate for a win.
They can’t coach their way to a win.
And for a myriad of other reasons, the Bears are unlikely to be favored in any of their remaining games this year.
The Minnesota Vikings present a unique set of challenges.
Brian Flores, their defensive coordinator blitzes more than any other team and he uses a variety of looks and disguises so that opponents don’t know who is coming and who is dropping into coverage. That is especially difficult for a rookie QB.
And their offense has Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor, plus Aaron Jones.
What’s it going to take to get a win?
Sam: Build on the offensive momentum from last week. We know what Brian Flores likes to do: blitz. Use the quick passing game and run game to beat the blitz. Give Caleb Williams lots of hot reads and blitz beaters. On defense, shut down Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Aaron Jones is running the ball well, too. But if you can get after Sam Darnold, he’ll turn back into the Darnold we remember from early in his career. Make life difficult for him. Not an easy task, because we’ve seen basically zero pass rush from the Bears DL in the last few games.
Jacob: Follow up on the offensive plan from last week. New offensive coordinator Thomas Brown did a good job of utilizing quick passes to get the ball out of Caleb Williams’ hands quickly and avoid potential mistakes from the offensive line. Especially when you’re facing a blitz-heavy defense like Minnesota’s, the key is short passes that exploit the numbers advantage that they’ll have in other areas of the field.
MongoPeanut: Continue to spread the ball around judiciously on offense. The Bears top four pass catchers all had 3 or more receptions, a sign of a healthier offense. Like Sam noted, having a game plan for the blitz will be paramount, as they do an excellent job of getting their LBs involved as evidenced by the 14 sacks totaled between Andrew van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, and Ivan Pace Jr. I would expect to see a healthy amount of Roschon Johnson as an extra blocker and lots of quick outs to receivers. On defense, the Bears have to figure out how to get pressure on Sam Darnold, as he has figured out how nice things can be when you have an all world talent in Justin Jefferson. With three receivers averaging greater than 15 yards per reception, the Bears safeties are going to have to remain active.
Mason: I agree with what everyone said regarding Thomas Brown, the offense, and the Grand Warlock of Insane Defense Flores and don’t want to repeat that sentiment (the one thing I will add is to clean up the blocking scheme in run plays. Too much meat left on the bone because one guy missed the block or did the wrong thing). Instead, I will highlight the defense. The Bears gave up two explosive plays to Christian Watson last week that either A) should not have happened or B) Should have been a turnover (looking at Elijah Hicks unfortunately). You can get Darnold to turn the ball over. You HAVE to take advantage of that knowing Justin Jefferson will get his yards. The run defense should be a bit better as Aaron Jones has been battling injuries as of late and has really struggled in the redzone.
Bryan: Caleb and Co. were much better against the blitz last week against GB and they need to keep that up this week against Flores’ crew but watch out for Andrew Van Ginkel in the quick game! He has taken two INTs the distance this season from his OLB/Edge spot. On D, we need a big game from our pass rush to make Darnold uncomfortable. He has thrown 10 picks this year and if we can add to that number, we should have a solid chance. Oh, and get off the field on third down. Aaron Jones has made a living against us moving the chains but we need to get off the field on D.
What do you think is the key for a Bears victory over the Vikings Sunday?