The last game of the regular season is here and it’s incredible how fast this season is going. The Minnesota Vikings travel to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears on Sunday before they prepare for the playoffs next weekend.
Our staff believes that the Vikings will win this game with ease and could end up making this their second win of double-digits this season.
Going into the final week of the season, we spoke with the managing editor of Bears Wire Alyssa Barbieri to get the scoop on the Vikings’ NFC North rivals.
Justin Fields was already ruled out with a hip injury. Is this a case of him being too injured to play or something else
Well, Fields is definitely hurting. That much was clear during last Sunday’s loss to the Lions, where he took some tough hits. I’d say this is a case of not risking further (or additional) injury to your franchise quarterback in a meaningless game. It’s definitely the right move, and it sounds like the decision came from above as Matt Eberflus mentioned he’d be having conversations with GM Ryan Poles and Fields before making a decision. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Bears have a chance to land the No. 1 overall pick with a loss to the Vikings and a Texans win over the Colts.
With Nathan Peterman under center, what can we learn about the Bears' offense?
Honestly? Absolutely nothing. Just like when Fields was in the lineup, this is the same offensive line that’s one of the worst in pass protection. These are the same underwhelming group of receivers (minus Darnell Mooney, who landed on IR awhile ago). I guess if there’s one thing that will be quite obvious is that this offense probably won’t be able to do anything, even with the No. 1 rushing attack in David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Fields was such a huge part of that, and he’s been the Bears’ offense for the entire season. If anything, this game will give fans a greater appreciation for what Fields has been able to do this season despite an underwhelming supporting cast.
Ryan Poles spent his first two picks in the secondary on Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon. How are they performing this season?
Brisker and Gordon haven’t been without their share of adversity, notably Gordon earlier in the season, but they’ve been solid in their rookie seasons. Brisker has been far and away the Bears’ best draft pick this season. He’s a physical, hard-hitting safety that has impressed even without Eddie Jackson, who landed on injured reserve earlier this year.
Heading into this matchup, Gordon will once again be the CB1 due to a number of injuries at cornerback, which includes Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor landing on IR. Now, Chicago is down two undrafted rookies in Jones (concussion) and Blackwell (IR). Gordon is questionable heading into this game, but assuming he suits up, he’ll face a difficult challenge against Justin Jefferson. Gordon’s stock has risen over the second half of this season following a rough start, and the arrow is certainly pointed up for both rookie defensive backs.
Chase Claypool hasn’t been a major factor since the Bears traded for him. Is there any reason for optimism moving forward?
There’s been a lot of criticism about how the Claypool trade has worked out, especially when Chicago’s second-round pick will essentially be a late first-rounder. It’s fair because Claypool has been a non-factor in this offense. Although, to be fair, the entire passing game has been a dud this season.
But I think there is reason to be optimistic about Claypool in 2023. He was thrown into the fire of Luke Getsy’s offense and expected to digest it rather quickly. When you look at the rest of the Bears offense, who started learning it last April, it took them until around the midway point of the year to truly get a good feel. Claypool has also been dealing with a knee injury that’s been rather frustrating. This offseason should give Claypool ample time to learn this offense, build a rapport with Justin Fields and head into training camp with a good grasp of things. If we’re seeing the same struggles next year, then it’s cause for concern.
What are the biggest needs for the Bears this offseason and which rookies have earned themselves a starting job?
Everything (except quarterback). No, but the biggest concerns are along the offensive and defensive lines, as well as wide receiver. The Bears have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and it’s been a big factor in the struggles of this offense. Outside of Teven Jenkins (now on IR), I’d say every starting job is up for grabs heading into 2023.
Chicago’s defensive line was considered the weakness of the defense before the season started, and it’s even worse than imagined, especially after Robert Quinn was traded. The Bears need to find a dominant three-technique, which is the engine that makes things go in Eberflus’ defense. They also need to address what’s been the worst pass rush in the league, which isn’t a complete surprise given they traded their top edge rushers in Quinn and Khalil Mack. Luckily, Chicago has a ton of salary cap space (projected to be north of $120 million) and an expected top-two draft pick to work with.
