The Bears’ path to first place in the NFC North got a lot clearer Thursday night.
Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell said quarterback Kyler Murray will miss Monday night’s game against Buffalo because of a hamstring strain, and Carson Wentz will get the start. That news doesn’t change Chicago’s task on Sunday night against Tampa Bay, but it does raise the stakes around it.
Chicago enters the week at 6-2, while the Vikings sit at 6-1 after their early bye. If the Bears handle the Buccaneers at Soldier Field and Minnesota falls to Buffalo on Monday night, Chicago will wake up Tuesday morning alone in first place in the division.
The Vikings’ quarterback change makes that second part of the equation look more realistic. Instead of Murray, Minnesota will be leaning on its veteran backup in a home primetime game against the team NFL.com ranks No. 1.
Bears fans have already seen Wentz once this season, and it wasn’t a pleasant memory. Murray left Week 1 with a concussion, which pushed Wentz into the lineup against Chicago in Week 2.
That game was one of the Bears’ two ugly outings this season, weather or no weather. It was also the day Williams went down with his hamstring injury.
Still, Wentz is not the reason Minnesota has been winning. Brian Flores’ defense has carried the Vikings to 6-1, and it held Detroit to 19 points in Minnesota’s only loss. Wentz’s job is straightforward: stay away from mistakes, keep the offense on schedule, and let the defense do the heavy lifting.
For Chicago, though, none of the Monday night setup matters unless Sunday night goes first. Beat Tampa Bay, and the Bears get to spend Monday night watching a backup quarterback try to defend the division lead they just claimed.
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Bears Linked To Costly Cornerback Option Dennis Allen Knows Well
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Tom Brady Sees Something Bears Fans Have Been Waiting For
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Brady also noted the growing trust between Williams and Johnson, the kind of coach-quarterback connection that can take time to show up but often becomes the foundation of a productive attack. For Bears fans, the encouraging part is not just that the offense looked sharper in one game, but that one of the sports most recognizable voices sees a fit developing in Chicago that could keep getting better. [Read more 🡒]