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The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings aren't exactly two teams heading in the same direction this year. The Bears are in turmoil, but at least they have two top-five picks in next year's draft. Thanks to Detroit's Thanksgiving loss, the Vikings are suddenly two games out of first place in the NFC North and sitting in a wildcard spot as things stand right now. They have two games against the Lions coming up at the end of the season, and if they can stay in contact with their division rivals, they'll have a chance to snag the NFC North crown later on.
Justin Fields has returned to the starting lineup for the Bears after his injury absence, only to preside over a dramatic late collapse against the Lions next week. For Chicago, the rest of this season is to see who will be a part of next year's rebuilding process and who will be let go. Both teams have different yet similarly high stakes riding on this game. Here's how to watch.
Bears vs. Vikings: How to watch Monday Night Football
The Chicago Bears will be traveling up north to Minnesota to face the Vikings for Monday Night Football, which, as usual, will air on ESPN. The Manningcast will take a week off for Week 12, so you're stuck with only the main broadcast. If you cannot access the ESPN broadcast either through cable or online, you can stream the game on fuboTV for no additional cost to your subscription.
Date: Monday, Nov. 27 | 8:15 p.m. EST
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
T.V. channel: ESPN| Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
FanDuel Odds: Vikings -3.5 | O/U 43.5
Bears storylines
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What to make of this Bears season? If you're a fan, it's hard not to feel misled by the hype around the team in the offseason. Justin Fields was receiving serious MVP hype coming off a season where he ran for over 1,100 yards and threw for 2,200 more. Even early-season skeptics have to be disappointed with a 3-8 start, however. DJ Moore is as advertised, though, on his way to a career year through 11 games despite an overall team weakness in the passing game. And they continue to be able to run the ball effectively as a team, with 1,500 yards of rushing in 11 games, good for second-most in the league behind the Baltimore Ravens. Oh, and as of now, thanks to their trade with the Carolina Panthers, they hold onto the No. 1 and No.4 projected picks in next year's NFL draft.
That's been mostly it, though. They are 29th in the league in points allowed, giving up 26 points per game. They continue to struggle to move the ball through the air despite lofty preseason goals. And they struggle to put the ball in the end zone. So, what's the plan to win? Well, the Bears must try to curb the Josh Dobbs magic and bring out his inexperience. It'd be nice if Justin Fields could continue to pass efficiently, with higher volume. And the running game will need to stay strong. It's a tall ask, but in the NFL, anything can happen.
Vikings storylines
Long ago, it was written: The Minnesota Vikings shall only play in one-score games. And then it came to pass. Ten out of their first 11 games this year have been decided by a one-score margin. And after a disappointing 0-3 start and an injury to Justin Jefferson, the Vikings have rebounded to 6-5. It doesn't matter that Kirk Cousins is done for the year. Josh Dobbs is in town. And after Detroit's loss to Green Bay, Minnesota controls their own destiny in the NFC North.
Additionally, the Vikings don't have their bye week until next week. And it shows. TJ Hockinson and Justin Jefferson highlight the list of injured players this week. They'll need all the weapons they can muster for Josh Dobbs in the home stretch of this season. A win this week and then a week to get healthy would be the perfect Thanksgiving treat for Minnesota.
