The Minnesota Vikings head to Soldier Field for a Week 2 matchup that already has plenty of history behind it. Minnesota is coming off a huge fourth-quarter surge against the Green Bay Packers, while Chicago arrives after a wild 59-37 road win over the Panthers in a game that turned into a scorigami.
This rivalry has been going on forever by NFL standards. The Vikings and Bears have met more than any other pair in the league, and Minnesota’s first-ever game back in 1961 came against Chicago - a 37-13 Vikings upset.
The numbers at Soldier Field have leaned Minnesota’s way more often than not. The Vikings have won seven of their last 10 trips there, and Kevin O’Connell’s teams are 4-1 in Chicago.
The only loss came in 2023, a 12-10 defeat that featured four interceptions from the Passtronaught. O’Connell is 6-2 overall against the Bears.
Minnesota has also put up 27 or more points in four of its last five road games against Chicago.
There are a few individual wrinkles, too. Justin Jefferson has not had a 100-yard game in Chicago since his rookie season in 2020. On the other side, the Vikings have not intercepted Caleb Williams yet, though he is 1-3 against Minnesota in his young career.
The Bears’ offense looked explosive in Week 1, especially on the ground. Chicago ran for 291 yards as a team, with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both going over 100 yards. Caleb Williams added 65 rushing yards and a touchdown, and the Bears finished with six rushing scores.
Minnesota’s defense is a much tougher test than Carolina’s, though, and that makes Sunday feel like a strength-on-strength matchup. If the Vikings can slow the run and push Williams into passing downs, they’ll give themselves a real shot on the road.
The turnover battle could be the difference, and there’s at least a little more trust right now in Caleb Williams taking care of the ball than Carson Wentz.
Bears 24 - Vikings 21
In Other News...
Vikings Face One Decision That Could Swing Everything Against Chicago
The biggest question hanging over the Vikings-Bears matchup is whether Chicago will have Kyler Murray available after the concussion issue that has clouded the week. If he cannot go, Carson Wentz would be the next man up, and that changes the feel of a divisional game that already carries plenty of edge. Minnesota enters with the kind of run defense that can force an offense to be patient, while Chicago is dealing with its own concerns up front and in the backfield.
For Brian Flores, the challenge is making life difficult for Caleb Williams no matter who is under center on the other side. The Vikings will also be watching how Jordan Addison fits into a matchup that could turn on a few key plays, while Chicagos defense leans on Jaylon Johnson to help keep things tight. In a rivalry like this, one quarterback decision can ripple through everything else, and Minnesota knows how quickly that can tilt the game one way or the other. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings QB What-If Just Got A Lot More Painful
The Vikings 2024 draft plan looks a lot different in hindsight, and not in a way that should make anyone in Minnesota feel better. ESPN insider Kevin Seifert reported the team tried to trade up to No. 3 to take Drake Maye, but could not get a deal done with the Patriots, leaving them to stay put and draft J.J. McCarthy at No. 10.
Since then, Minnesota has already moved on to Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the depth chart, while Maye has gone to New England and immediately turned the Patriots into a problem for the rest of the league. After leading them to the Super Bowl and coming close to MVP-level recognition in his first full season as a starter, he is exactly the kind of quarterback what-if that can linger around a franchise for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Flores Faces A Tough Caleb Williams Decision For Bears Week 2
The Bears came out of Week 1 with a rushing performance that still has the Vikings paying attention, and the injury report adds another layer to the matchup. DAndre Swift and Kyle Monangai were both listed as limited during the week, while right tackle Darnell Wright moved from absence to limited participation, a small step forward after missing practice time.
For Brian Flores and Minnesotas defense, those statuses matter because Chicagos ground game could shape how much pressure the Vikings can bring elsewhere on the field. Even with the limited tags, the Bears still have enough uncertainty around their backfield and front line to make Week 2 a more complicated test than a simple follow-up to opening weekend. [Read more 🡒]