Week 2 brings the Chicago Bears right into a dangerous spot against the Minnesota Vikings, and the challenge starts with figuring out which Vikings have to be taken out of the game early.
Both teams enter the matchup off big Week 1 wins, but there are still plenty of questions hanging over this one. Minnesota may be missing its starting quarterback and running back.
Chicago, meanwhile, has its own cleanup job after giving up 37 points to the Carolina Panthers. That leaves the Bears with a simple assignment in theory and a messy one in practice: don’t let Minnesota’s playmakers dictate the day.
Aaron Jones is the first name Chicago has to account for. With Jordan Mason placed on IR because of a thumb injury, Jones is set to see a much bigger workload in Week 2. He opened the season with 40 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers, and the Bears can’t afford to treat that line like it means he’s a nonfactor.
The pass rush is another area where Minnesota can cause real problems, and Dallas Turner is the kind of edge rusher who can wreck a game fast. He was all over the Packers last week, finishing with seven quarterback hits, two tackles, and one sack. Whether he lines up against Darnell Wright, Theo Benedert, or Braxton Jones, Chicago has to keep him from turning the pocket into chaos.
Andrew Van Ginkel brings a different kind of danger off the edge. He had two quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks in Week 1, and his speed and experience give him a chance to be a major issue for the Bears’ tackles. If Chicago doesn’t handle that pressure, Caleb Williams could take a beating.
Then there’s Justin Jefferson, the most obvious threat on the board and still the one Minnesota can build everything around. He caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns last week, and he can flip the game as a deep threat if Chicago’s shaky secondary can’t hold up. The Bears may try to lean on double coverage, but that opens the door for other receivers.
Jordan Addison is one of those names. He didn’t record a catch in Week 1, but that doesn’t make him harmless.
If Jefferson draws the heavy attention Chicago is likely to give him, Addison can find space in the passing game. Tyrique Stevenson or Malik Muhammad may be the ones tasked with making sure that doesn’t happen.
One more threat sits in the return game. Price had a 68-yard kickoff return against the Packers, and that alone is enough to put him on the Bears’ radar. A single return can swing field position in a hurry, and Chicago can’t let special teams become another problem in a game that already has enough of them.
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Bears Center Battle May Be Heating Up Faster Than Expected
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Logan Jones has made the competition even more interesting. The rookie second-round pick has already earned praise from coach Ben Johnson for his mental fortitude and football IQ, and that kind of trust can matter fast when a team is looking for answers up front. If Bradbury does not clean things up soon, the Bears may not wait long to see whether Jones is ready for a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Bears May Need Zavion Thomas Sooner Than Expected Against Vikings
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Brian Flores has built a reputation for forcing quarterbacks to adjust, and Johnsons history against that defense gives Chicago a reason to feel it can answer with some creative work of its own. If the Bears want another way to stress the Vikings on Sunday, Thomas is one of the more obvious candidates to help stretch the field and create space, which is why his role bears watching even if his rookie debut offered only a glimpse. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Defense Has No Excuse Against A Shorthanded Vikings Offense
Minnesotas offense is walking into Week 2 with a much thinner margin for error after running back Jordan Mason was set to land on injured reserve with a thumb injury, and the quarterback situation is shaky as well with Kyler Murray in concussion protocol. For the Bears, that changes the tenor of a matchup they already badly need to clean up defensively after a rough Week 1 showing.
Chicago does not have much room to waste an opportunity like this. Even with the Vikings shorthanded, the Bears will need to tackle better, tighten up in coverage and do the little things that were missing last week if they want to make Minnesota pay for the absences and get their season pointed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]