The Bears’ Week 2 matchup suddenly looks a lot different depending on who lines up under center for Minnesota.
After Chicago’s lopsided win over Carolina, attention shifts to Soldier Field, where the Vikings come in off a 39-22 comeback over the Packers. Minnesota erased a 12-point hole and scored 29 straight points to pull it out, even after its starting quarterback went down early.
Kyler Murray left with an injury after throwing just five passes and is now in the concussion protocol. He’s reportedly doing well and is considered day-to-day.
That’s the part the Bears should be watching closest.
Because once Carson Wentz stepped in, Minnesota’s offense settled in, and the difference in how the unit operated was hard to miss. Wentz looked more comfortable, more willing to stand in and deliver the ball, and that mattered in a big way against Green Bay.
Justin Jefferson was the biggest beneficiary. He caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, looking every bit like the dominant receiver Minnesota expected him to be.
That should be a real concern for Chicago, especially after what the Bears showed on defense against the Panthers. If that group looked slow and struggled to generate a pass rush in Week 1, Jefferson is the kind of player who can make the whole thing look worse in a hurry.
Murray, though, presents a different kind of problem. He’s mobile, but he hasn’t been using his legs to make a major impact in recent seasons, averaging just over 36.0 rushing yards per game and falling below that number in each of the last three years. He also doesn’t seem nearly as comfortable working from the pocket, which is where Wentz gives Minnesota a different shape offensively.
The feeling here is simple: Minnesota’s offense may actually function better with Wentz because Kevin O’Connell’s system needs a quarterback who can stand in and get the ball to his playmakers. Murray hasn’t been that guy.
Wentz didn’t need to do much beyond distribute the ball. In relief, he completed 12 passes and threw three touchdown passes. With Jefferson in the mix and Jordan Addison also on the roster, that’s enough to stress a defense.
Addison, by the way, was held without a catch in Week 1.
So while a mobile quarterback can be a headache in theory, the Bears might actually have a better chance if Murray is healthy enough to start. If Wentz is the one running the show again, Chicago will be facing the version of Minnesota that looked far more efficient after the injury.
Given what the Bears put on tape against Carolina, that’s not exactly the preferred matchup.
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