The Minnesota Vikings will host the Chicago Bears at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season. They want to stay undefeated at home, while the Bears hope to bounce back from a Week 4 loss to the Giants. Here are our Vikings Week 5 predictions as they take on the Bears.
In Week 4, the Vikings defeated the New Orleans Saints in a thrilling game. Justin Jefferson accumulated 147 yards on 10 catches and also scored a running touchdown. His efforts, combined with kicker Greg Joseph's five field goals, resulted in a 28-25 win.
The Vikings have won three of their previous four games against the Bears, limiting them to an average of 18.0 points per game. Right now, however, the Bears defense has also been good. In fact, they allow only 19.3 points per game, which is good enough for No. 11 in the league. One thing is for sure — points won't come cheap in this game.
The Vikings have a significant edge in this game, and that is their offensive arsenal. Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook should outperform the Bears' Darnell Mooney, Khalil Herbet, Cole Kmet, and Dante Pettis. The talent disparity will just be too much for Chicago to bridge.
Having said that, here are our four bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings in their Week 5 game against the Bears.
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4. Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith will rule
Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith are two powerful pass rushers for the Vikings, but they haven't had much success this season. Right now, they have a combined total of 21 pressures and three sacks. That is uncharacteristic of two of the NFL's top defensive linemen.
In Week 5, however, they receive a nice matchup against Chicago's Larry Borom and Braxton Jones. Those two have allowed a combined 17 pressures. This means that the Vikings' elite pass-rushing tandem may easily put up big numbers.
3. Justin Jefferson stays hot
Prior to Week 4, Justin Jefferson just had nine receptions for 62 yards over the previous two games after a spectacular effort in Week 1. He had a huge game in Week 5, though, with 10 receptions for 147 yards and a rushing TD. The Vikings offense keyed on him early and often, with two catches on the first drive. He was also crucial in both fourth-quarter drives to grab the lead. Throughout the game, Jefferson made New Orleans' Marshon Lattimore seem like an ordinary cornerback.
Jefferson is without a doubt the Vikings' top player. Shutting down Jefferson, as the Eagles did, is critical to shutting down the Vikings offense. The Bears' Jaylon Johnson will be tasked to stop him, but Johnson's current issue is that he has missed the previous two games due to a quad injury. Take note that he just allowed one catch on three targets in the first two games. If Johnson is healthy and ready to play, this should be a really exciting matchup on Sunday. Still, Jefferson should stay hot and net around 100 receiving yards.
2. Kirk Cousins outplays Justin Fields
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has had his share of troubles this season. After four games, he has tossed just six touchdowns and thrown four interceptions. He does, however, have his first-ever 3-1 record to start a season.
On the other end of the pitch is Justin Fields, who is on a tough path. Most of it is due to his circumstances. He has a mediocre supporting cast, which has affected his personal production. Keep in mind that he ranks last among starting quarterbacks in a number of categories, most notably completions (34).
The Vikings offense struggled to finish in Week 4, but it was encouraging to see Cousins rebuild his connection with Jefferson. Their continued success as a pass-catch tandem will be very important moving forward. If the Vikings are to be taken seriously, Jefferson must be featured by Cousins on a weekly basis.
We'll see that anew in Week 5. Expect Cousins to connect heavily again with Jefferson. As such, Cousins should end up with 260+ air yards and two touchdowns. Those will be better than any numbers Fields will put up.
1. Vikings should win by more than one score
Both the Bears and the Vikings hired new general managers and head coaches this past summer. However, after four games, it's evident that both clubs are heading in separate directions. While the Bears are rebuilding, the Vikings are contending.
The Bears are 2-2, but it's evident that they have a long way to go before contending. They haven't faced their toughest opponents yet, and there's still the issue about Justin Fields' growth. Meanwhile, the Vikings have a quality roster that includes playmakers like Jefferson and Dalvin Cook on offense.
Expecting the Vikings to win a divisional game by more than one score may be a reach, but they should do it here against the Bears. Again, keep in mind that in 2022, both of these defenses are among the top 12 in terms of points allowed per game.
When the smoke clears, though, the Vikings offense should carry them to a two-score win over the Bears in Week 5.
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