The Vikings came away from Week 1 with a comeback win, but the setup in Week 2 is a lot trickier. Minnesota heads to Soldier Field with injuries hanging over the roster at running back, quarterback and elsewhere, and that has opened the door for Chicago to be the favorite in plenty of eyes.
This one has the feel of a strength-on-strength matchup, with one of the league’s top offenses facing one of its top defenses. The problem for Minnesota is that the offense may not have enough juice to fully cash in.
Carson Wentz gets the start at quarterback while Kyler Murray continues to work back from a concussion. That keeps the Vikings steady in some areas, but it also strips away the kind of explosive plays that can flip a game fast. Minnesota had only one run of more than 10 yards and one pass of more than 20 yards last week, and without Jordan Mason and Murray, that kind of burst may be hard to find again.
Wentz should keep things moving. He’ll protect the football, work Justin Jefferson into the game and help the Vikings stay on schedule. The challenge is that Minnesota may have to win without the splash plays, and that’s a much tougher way to live against a team like Chicago.
The ground game looks especially fragile. Aaron Jones is being asked to carry a heavy load, with DeeJay Dallas mixed in at times, while the rest of the backfield is made up of a 31-year-old coming off injury, a rookie in the doghouse and two players who have been with the team for less than a month. Jones managed just 3.3 yards per carry last week and topped out at an eight-yard run against a Packers defense that was missing Micah Parsons.
If the Vikings can’t run it, the burden falls on Wentz, and that’s not exactly the script Minnesota wants. Still, there is at least one reason for optimism: Chicago’s defense was the third-worst unit in football last week. Even with Wentz under center, Minnesota should be able to put points on the board.
Chicago, though, is going to score too. The Bears have the kind of offense that can punch through almost anyone, and Ben Johnson made a loud opening statement with 59 points against the Panthers in Week 1. Minnesota knows what this group can look like at its best, though, because Johnson’s offense averaged just 21.5 points per game against Brian Flores’ defense across two games in 2025.
Weather may be the great equalizer here. Rain and 20 mph winds at Soldier Field could turn this into a messy, physical game, which is exactly the kind of environment that gives Minnesota a chance to lean on its aggressive defense.
That unit was stretched last week, even in a win. Jordan Love threw for 387 yards against the Vikings secondary before the Packers’ fourth-quarter collapse erased the damage, and Minnesota still allowed 66 rushing yards while generating 32 total pressures. That’s not exactly a lockdown showing.
Chicago’s run game also adds another layer of danger. The Bears rolled up 291 rushing yards and six touchdowns last week, which is not the sort of number you want to see if you’re trying to slow the game down and keep things close.
Flores’ defense is unusual, chaotic and built in a way that probably wouldn’t fit many other teams. It should make Chicago work, but with the Bears’ early offensive momentum and the Vikings still sorting through some growing pains, the edge leans toward the home team.
Most experts are on the Bears, and this matchup gives them plenty of reasons to stay there.
In Other News...
Kyle Van Noy May Be Forcing The Vikings Into A Decision
Kyle Van Noys status has become one of the more interesting roster calls facing the Vikings this early in the season. After being elevated from the practice squad for Week 2 against the Bears, the veteran edge rusher is in line for his second straight game with the team, a sign Minnesota may be weighing whether to keep him around beyond a temporary move.
Van Noy logged 25 defensive snaps in the previous game and is expected to remain part of the rotation off the edge, which gives the Vikings a useful layer of depth as they sort through their front seven. The same elevation also brought rookie receiver Dillon Bell onto the game-day roster, but Van Noys repeated call-ups are the part that could eventually force a bigger decision about how the Vikings want to handle his role moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings QB Debate Suddenly Has A Very Short Window
Kevin OConnell has already drawn the lines for the next two weeks, and they leave little room for a lingering quarterback debate. Kyler Murray has been ruled out for Week 2 against the Chicago Bears because of the concussion protocol, which means Carson Wentz will get the start there, but the Vikings coach said he expects Murray to clear protocol and be ready to return in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
OConnell also made it clear the job is not up for grabs while Murray is on the mend. Once he is medically cleared, Murray is slated to reclaim the starting role, which makes this more of a temporary holdover than a true quarterback battle. For Minnesota, the intrigue now is less about who will start long term and more about how Wentz handles a brief turn under center before the expected handoff back. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Williams Exit Suddenly Looms Over Vikings Bears Rivalry
Caleb Williams exit in the fourth quarter of Sundays Bears-Vikings game put a sudden jolt into a rivalry that already had plenty riding on it. On a non-contact play, the Bears quarterback went down with a hamstring injury, then had to be carried off before being carted to the locker room, turning what had been a tense divisional matchup into one with a much bigger concern hanging over Chicago.
For the Vikings, the bigger picture is less about one play than what it might mean for a division opponent already dealing with uncertainty at quarterback. Medical experts who looked at the injury believe it is a hamstring strain, the kind that can force a player to miss time, and the timing could matter well beyond one afternoon in Week 2. [Read more 🡒]