The Chicago Bears are gearing up to host the rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 6, and it’s a tale of two 1-4 teams who have drastically different outlooks on their seasons.
Chicago is coming off a statement win against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football, which saw quarterback Justin Fields throw four touchdown passes, and the team is nearly at full strength as key players return from injury.
Minnesota, on the other hand, is falling well short of expectations following a 13-4 2022 campaign. And their most recent loss to the Chiefs was only made things worse when perennial All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson was placed on injured reserve this week. The Vikings are wounded, and they’re looking at the Bears as a real Viking would look at his prey after starving for days.
Despte the loss of Jefferson, the purple and gold will not give up the win easily. Chicago needs to succeed in five key categories in order to take down their divisional foe from the snow-capped north of Minnesota.
Let’s break down the five keys to a Bears victory against the Vikings in Week 6.
1
QB Justin Fields strings together another game of productive, mistake-free football
Chicago’s star signal-caller is quickly proving to the Bears’ brass, as well as the wider NFL world, that he is capable of shouldering the franchise and can be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. The next step in Fields’ growth will be to play at an elite level consistently, and he a chance at proving that when takes on the Vikings at home this Sunday.
Fields doesn’t necessarily have to light the field on fire in the early goings of the game, as he has in the previous two weeks, he just has to sustain drives. Fields needs to understand any given playcall, know where to go with the ball, make the right decision on whether to throw or run, and don’t fumble or throw an interception. He went to great lengths to improve as a passer in Week 4, but his costly turnovers were the Achilles heel that cost the team the game. In Week 5, Fields managed to put it all together, combining his innate arm talent with the poise of a maturing quarterback. That maturity needs to carry over this week against a struggling divisional opponent.
If Fields delivers the ball where it needs to go in a timely manner and is decisive on what he does on any given play, Chicago will find themselves celebrating their second straight win.
2
The running backs keep the offense on schedule
The running back room has had little trouble in doing damage against opponents the last couple weeks. The Bears rushing attack managed to compile over 100 yards on the ground in the last couple of games. Injuries to Khalil Herbert (ankle), Roschon Johnson (concussion) and Travis Homer (hamstring) has suddenly made the prospect of getting solid yardage through the run a tougher task, but that’s what the offense will set out to do this Sunday.
D’Onta Foreman will most likely be the starter in Week 6, with the recently signed Darrynton Evans slotted to be his backup. General manager Ryan Poles should be praised for his foresight when signing Foreman in the offseason, as he’s had to tout a big workload for an extended portion of the season before when he was the main ballcarrier in Carolina. There shouldn’t be any steep drop-off from Herbert or Johnson’s production, and he will be more than capable of keeping the offense on track by gaining positive yards. The ballcarriers will not be asked to be the engine that kicks the offense into high gear, but they have the job of keeping drives moving and negating negative plays. Foreman and Evans will be the recipients of short yardage carries and screens as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy attempts to keep the Vikings defense off balance.
If Foreman and Evans can effectively take the mantle from Herbert and Johnson and create a respectable run attack, the offense should have no issues keeping drives alive.
3
The offensive line keeps Vikings star Danielle Hunter in check
Chicago’s offensive line surprised everyone by overwhelming a talented Commanders defensive line on Thursday Night Football last week, stifling their attempts at disrupting the offense. The group’s stellar play was a major factor in their victory, and they’ll once again have to be a force against rival Minnesota.
The Vikings defensive front isn’t nearly as scary on paper as the Commanders were, but that doesn’t mean they can be taken lightly. The unit has a particularly strong pass rusher in Danielle Hunter, who’s racked up six sacks and nine tackles-for-loss through five games. The Vikings will most likely deploy Hunter to the left side of the offensive line, as left tackle Larry Borom is the line’s weakest link since filling in for the injured Braxton Jones.
While Borom can stand his ground at times, Chicago will need to send support when the offense is attempting a more time-consuming passing play. Expect a tight end to set a chip block on Hunter or for the Bears to send in the better pass blocker of the two running backs to give Fields just that extra second to throw. Borom will likely be the blocking sled Hunter will try to run through most of the game, but rookie right tackle Darnell Wright will need to keep up his excellent play should his opportunity come around.
It’s no secret that great offensive line play is the key to any NFL team’s success, and the Bears will sink the Vikings’ ship if their O-line can come through.
4
The defensive line is able to get to QB Kirk Cousins
There hasn’t been one keys to victory article that hasn’t included getting to the quarterback, and that should be evidence of how important it is. Not only is it an opportunity for any team to set the opposition back a few yards and possibly cause a turnover, but pressure does wonders in limiting an offense’s explosiveness. Chicago did a great job at getting into the backfield in Week 5, and it will be Cousins’ turn to receive that same treatment.
The Bears young defensive front will have a tough order in getting past a Vikings line that has the likes of Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland and Garrett Bradbury. Edge rusher Yannick Nagkoue will be tasked with leading the charge behind enemy lines, as he’s the groups most prolific and experienced defender. It’s almost certain big defensive tackle Andrew Billings will make himself known, as he’s been arguably the team’s best defender through five games.
The real X-factors will be the rookie duo of Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, who have only gotten better as the season has gone on. While Pickens is the only one to even have a half-sack, the two have become more adept in getting in the backfield. If they can finally pair that effort with results, it’ll be a long day for Mr. “you like that?!”
If Ngakoue can rally his group to build on Thursday’s excellent showing, the defensive front may no longer be considered the weakest position on the roster.
5
The defense centers its coverage around WR Jordan Addison and TE TJ Hockenson
The Bears caught a massive break when Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson was placed on IR, keeping him out at least four weeks. That doesn’t mean Minnesota is without any firepower, as they still have a quarterback who has statistically been one of the best passers in the league, as well as athletic tight end TJ Hockensen and talented rookie receiver Jordan Addison. While the absence of Jefferson will loom large in Sunday’s game, the Bears will need to fixate their coverage on the tandem of Hockensen and Addison.
To eliminate Hockensen from doing his work, Chicago will need to match up their most physically gifted linebacker with Hockensen, and he’ll need to be aggressive in matching the tight end’s physicality on pass plays. Head coach Matt Eberflus’s cover 2 scheme will do little to stop Hockensen, as tight ends are often taught to read the coverage and sit in the holes of the coverage. Playing man with an athletic linebacker will be the Bears’ best course of action.
Addsion poses a real threat to Chicago’s secondary. The return of cornerback Jaylon Johnson will certainly help, but the unit has routinely been beaten over the middle and deep, and Addison has the agility to hurt the Bears in that aspect. If the rangy Eddie Jackson makes his return from injury, the team can breathe a bit easier about getting burnt deep. Without him, the Bears will have to roll a safety over the top of Addison to keep a lid on his verticality. Addison still is a threat to race over the middle of the field on intermediate routes and hurt Chicago in that way, but that will be on the safeties and linebackers to anticipate the route coming and break on the ball early.
The Vikings are more vulnerable than they have been all season, which is quite the statement when considering their 1-4 record. The Bears will do all they can to stop the skill players Minnesota has to get the win.
