The Vikings’ Week 1 win over the Packers gave them an immediate jolt of optimism, but Carson Wentz is already being handed a rough forecast for his first start in Week 2.
Minnesota rolled to a 39-22 upset in the opener, even with Kyler Murray throwing an interception and leaving early with a concussion. Now the Vikings are set to turn to Wentz against the Bears while Murray gets the rest he needs, and ESPN’s Seth Walder is not buying another clean outing.
Walder’s call is blunt: Wentz is going to throw multiple interceptions against Chicago, even though the Bears just gave up 37 points to the Carolina Panthers.
"Bold prediction: Vikings QB Carson Wentz will throw multiple interceptions," Walder predicts. "I know he had some impressive moments and didn't throw any picks in Minnesota's Week 1 win. But this is still Wentz, and I assume he's still prone to a mistake or four."
That’s the reputation hanging over Wentz here. He’s thrown 72 interceptions in his NFL career, and plenty of those have come in bunches. So even after a sharp Week 1 line - three touchdowns, 133 yards, and no picks - the idea of a messy game is never far away.
The Bears defense may not be as strong as it was last season, and Wentz should have chances to move the ball through the air. Still, the prediction is that the turnovers show up again, and that a multi-interception night would likely send Minnesota to a Week 2 loss.
For a team coming off a big opening win, that would be a harsh snap back to earth after Wentz’s vintage performance created real buzz about what might come next.
In Other News...
Kyle Van Noy May Be Forcing The Vikings Into A Decision
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For the Vikings, the pattern is starting to matter as much as the production. Van Noys workload last week came on 25 defensive snaps, and repeated elevations can only go on for so long before the team has to decide whether he belongs on the 53-man roster for good. The next step is less about getting through Sunday and more about whether Minnesota wants to keep treating him like a temporary fix. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Offense Suddenly Has A Week 2 Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Vikings Week 2 preparation took a turn on the final injury report, with the offense facing a few moving parts before Sundays matchup with the Bears. Carson Wentz is set to start in place of Kyler Murray, who will be out because of a head injury, while the rest of the roster picture still leaves some important uncertainty around protection and playmaking. Brian ONeill remains questionable, which matters for an offensive line already trying to stabilize, and Alexander Mattison is on injured reserve, thinning the backfield depth.
Jalen Jennings also will miss the game because of a personal matter, forcing more shuffling in the receiving corps at a time when the Vikings can least afford it. For a team trying to find rhythm early in the season, the issue is no longer just one replacement at quarterback. It is the accumulation of absences around him, and how much pressure that puts on the unit as it heads into a division matchup with Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Collapse Is Suddenly Raising A Bigger NFC North Question
Green Bays late-season slide has turned what looked like a steady NFC North race into something far shakier, and the ripple effect reaches well beyond Wisconsin. Since Micah Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15 of the 2025 season, the Packers have dropped six straight, a stretch defined by second-half miscues and leads that have somehow slipped away after looking secure.
For Minnesota, the bigger question is no longer just whether the Packers can stop the bleeding, but what the collapse says about the division landscape going forward. Green Bay has been outscored badly in fourth quarters and overtime during the skid, and the size of those failures has put Matt LaFleur under a harsher spotlight than he has faced in years, with his team suddenly looking vulnerable in the very moments that usually decide seasons. [Read more 🡒]