The Chicago Bears are on a roll. They have turned defeat into victory late in the fourth quarter of games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Giants the last two weeks. The Bears are tied for first place in the NFC North with the Detroit Lions, and now they get a chance for revenge against the team that beat them in the opening week of the season.
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Lions on the road in Week 9 with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and they appeared to be on track for another winning season that would result in a postseason position. However, the Vikings fell apart a week later against the Baltimore Ravens with eight pre-snap penalties and their third loss of the season at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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The Bears have momentum and they need to take advantage of it in this division game. One of the primary reasons they are winning this season is the growth of quarterback Caleb Williams. He has become a much more efficient and effective signal caller while receiving the tough love of head coach Ben Johnson.
Williams will throw 2 TD passes and run for another
Williams has has completed 178 of 293 passes for 2,136 yards with 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He has also demonstrated that he is very effective runner when he has to scramble to get away from the pass rush. He has more speed than he was given credit for when he was drafted in 2024. Williams has gained 246 rushing yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring 4 touchdowns.
He has come through with his biggest plays when the game is on the line the last two weeks. Williams hit rookie tight end Colston Loveland with the winning TD pass against the Bengals and ran 17 yards in spectacular fashion for the winning touchdown against the Giants. He has three dangerous wideouts in Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and rookie Luther Burden.
Look for Williams to drive the Bears offense once again and continue to grow against a defense that is capable of causing problems with its confusing looks.
Justin Jefferson will get back on track with 100 receiving yards and a TD
Justin Jefferson came into the season as one of the elite receivers in the NFL, battling Ja'Marr Chase of the Bengals for the No. 1 spot in the league. Jefferson has not been at his best this season and he is not yet on the same page with quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The second-year quarterback has had his ups and downs this season. He had a brilliant 4th quarter in the Week 1 win over the Bears at Soldier Field and he was even better in the Vikings' Week 9 upset over the heavily favored Lions in Detroit. However, he struggled badly in losses to the Falcons and the Ravens, and he has also battled a high ankle sprain.
As a result, Jefferson's numbers are not up to his usual standards. Instead of holding down the No. 1 or 2 spots among the NFL's best receivers, Jefferson has slipped to the No. 8 spot.
He is well behind top-rated Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks, Puka Nacua of the Los Angels Rams, George Pickens of the Dallas Cowboys, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions and Chase. Jefferson has been targeted 84 times and he has 51 receptions for 686 yards and just 2 TDs.
He will get back on track against the Bears and exceed the 100-yard mark and get into the end zone
O'Connell won't let his team lose a 4th game at home
The Vikings had a brilliant 14-3 season last year, but those numbers are well out of reach for the 4-5 Vikings. The team is in last place in the NFC North as they prepare for the Bears (6-3).
Head coach Kevin O'Connell will look across the field and see Johnson, a coach who tormented the Vikings boss when he was with the Lions the past two season. O'Connell's team has not defended its home field this season and has suffered losses at U.S. Bank Stadium to the Falcons, Eagles and Ravens. They cannot lose another game at home — especially to a division rival — if they want to get into the race for a playoff spot.
O'Connell needs defensive coordinator Brian Flores to come up with a plan that confuses Williams at the key moments and allows players like Andrew Van Ginkel, Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith to make game-changing plays.
The Bears have been winning close games all season, but this time it's the Vikings' turn to come through in the final moments of this crucial NFC North battle.
