The 11-2 Vikings, who have won six in a row, play 4-9 Chicago, losers of seven straight, in another “Monday Night Football” matchup between the NFC North rivals.
The Bears kept two defenders near Justin Jefferson during most of the first game between the teams on Nov. 24. Will they change their approach Monday night? (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Monday Where: U.S. Bank Stadium TV: ABC/ESPN+ Radio: KFAN-FM 100.3; SiriusXM 225, 820 (Vikings), 226, 805 (Bears), 88 (Westwood One) Line: Vikings by 7
The Vikings will try to sweep the Bears for the third time in four years. They will don their all-white jerseys and helmets as they try to get to 12-2 before a tough three-game stretch to close out the regular season. Thomas Brown, who coached with Kevin O’Connell in Los Angeles and interviewed for the Vikings offensive coordinator job in 2022, is the Bears interim head coach after the team fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Monday night:
The biggest story line
Looking for a sweep under the lights: The Vikings and Bears will play on “Monday Night Football” for the fourth time in five years and the sixth time in nine seasons. Kevin O’Connell’s only loss to the Bears came in a Monday night game before the bye week last year, when Joshua Dobbs threw four interceptions in a 12-10 defeat. This time, the Vikings are trying to keep pace with the Lions in the NFC North, while facing a Bears team that’s lost seven in a row.
Darnold looks to keep his run going: In the Vikings’ first meeting with the Bears, Sam Darnold threw for 90 yards on the game-winning overtime drive to finish with 330 passing yards for the day. He won NFC offensive player of the week honors for his five-touchdown performance against the Falcons, and he will try to repeat his Soldier Field showing at home. He has thrown 11 touchdown passes without an interception since the Vikings’ 12-7 victory at Jacksonville, where he had three INTs. If he gets 11 TD passes in the Vikings’ final four games, he will tie Daunte Culpepper’s single-season franchise record at 39.
Will Bears play Jefferson differently? The Bears kept two defenders near Justin Jefferson during most of the first game between the teams, and the Vikings took advantage with Jordan Addison posting 162 yards and T.J. Hockenson getting 114. Jefferson also drew a 35-yard pass interference penalty in the game. The Falcons used more single-safety coverage shells against the Vikings than most teams have last week, and Jefferson made them pay with two touchdowns. There’s no easy way to deal with the Vikings’ weapons in the passing game right now, and as O’Connell has mentioned, split-safety coverages mean teams aren’t able to blitz Darnold much. We’ll see if the Bears try a different approach in the second meeting between the teams.
Vikings defense vs. Bears offense
Williams is Vikings’ first rematch at QB: In the Bears’ first game against the Vikings, No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams had one of his best days of the season, throwing for 340 yards while running six times for 33 yards in the loss. Asked what the Vikings learned about Williams in the first meeting, defensive coordinator Brian Flores said, “He’s fast.” The quarterback evaded several defenders, including on a highlight throw to D’Andre Swift when Williams got away from Blake Cashman. He will become the first quarterback the Vikings see twice this season, before games against Jordan Love and Jared Goff to end the year.
Vikings try to contain the run: In holding Chicago to 4 net yards (yes, you read that correctly) in the first half last week, the 49ers ran roughshod over the Bears offensive line, sacking Williams four times before halftime while allowing Swift to gain just 7 yards on four carries. Center Coleman Shelton had a particularly tough day against the 49ers, and when the Bears tried to run outside, they couldn’t hold blocks long enough for Swift to find space. The Vikings defense has given up more than 150 rushing yards in each of its past two games, after giving up more than 100 only three times in the first 11 games of the season. Swift, who had only 30 yards on 13 carries in the first matchup, practiced for the first time this week Saturday after missing two days because of a groin injury. He’s questionable for the game, while backup Roschon Johnson (concussion) is out.
Injury report
Vikings
Questionable: CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring)
Bears
Out: OL Ryan Bates (concussion), DL Gervon Dexter Sr. (knee), RB Roschon Johnson (concussion)
Questionable: RB D’Andre Swift (groin)
Prediction
The Bears haven’t won since before their Oct. 20 bye, and they have lost games in such dramatic fashion it’s worth wondering how much fight they have left now that the playoffs have slipped away following a 4-2 start. It’s a tough place to be, heading into U.S. Bank Stadium for a prime-time game against a team that has everything to play for, and if the Vikings can keep Williams from making the kinds of big plays that nearly turned the first game, they should be able to win their seventh in a row and get to 12-2 before their tough finishing stretch against the Seahawks, Packers and Lions. Division games are rarely one-sided, but the Vikings should win comfortably. Vikings 31, Bears 20