The Chicago Bears have six wins, all against teams with losing records, this season, but they’ll look to change that on Sunday as they welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Soldier Field for a critical NFC North showdown.
The Bears, who are currently in first place in their division, would make a huge statement with a win Sunday, as they would not only gain a full game in the standings, but they would also be doing so in front of a nationally televised audience in the game, their first home tilt on Sunday Night Football in six years.
Everything seems to be going right for the Bears as of late, as the team is getting healthy at the right time. Khalil Mack was back at full strength against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, registering two sacks in the game, and Allen Robinson was as well, as the wide receiver hauled in six catches and two touchdowns in the winning effort.
Of course, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is also rounding into form, and that has helped the Bears’ offense immensely. Trubisky accounted for 355 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Lions, and he also rushed for another one as he continued his sophomore surge under first-year head coach Matt Nagy.
Add in the stellar play of the team’s secondary of late, as well as the two-headed running monster of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, and this Bears team is clicking on all cylinders ahead of a game that could signal a big step forward in their collective development.
On the Vikings’ side of things, their offense has benefitted in a big way from quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has thrown 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions so far this season. He has been helped in a big way by wide receiver Adam Thielen, who is already just 53 yards shy of 1,000 on the season through the team’s first nine games.
Add in wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who hopes to play after missing the team’s last game, and the running of Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray, and the Vikings have a good number of offensive weapons to test the Bears’ stellar defense in the highly-anticipated game.
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Ultimately, the biggest single factor that fans should pay attention to ahead of the game is just how evenly matched the teams are. The Vikings and Bears are allowing virtually the same number of passing yards per game, and their run defenses are two of the top three in the NFL. The Bears do hold a decided advantage in rushing yards per game, registering 120.1 per contest to the Vikings’ 91.7, but the Vikings hold a 40 yards-per-game advantage in the passing department to even things out.
These teams, separated by just one half-game in the standings, will be playing to get into the driver’s seat of the division on Sunday, and it will be an opportunity for Trubisky, Nagy, and the rest of the Bears to make one heck of a statement before a big TV audience.
