It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Minnesota Vikings. The team that won the NFC North a season ago with a 13-4 record has dropped 4 of its first 5 games. The Vikings have lost all 3 of their home games and they find themselves tied for last place in the division with the Chicago Bears.

The Vikings will meet the Bears Sunday in Week 6 in Chicago, and what appeared to be an easy game at the start of the season no longer appears so simple. It's not just a matter of the Vikings getting off to a slow start. They will be without superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who suffered a hamstring injury in last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Jefferson was placed on Injured Reserve as a result of that injury, and he will miss the next 4 games.

The Vikings are approaching a critical portion of the schedule. They have a date in Week 7 with the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are one of two undefeated teams in the league, and they have been dangerous every week. If they lose that game, it may be very tough to recover and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may engage in a series of trades before the October 31 deadline.

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However, the Vikings are planning to do whatever they can to beat the Bears and win their second game of the season.

Here are 3 bold predictions that could lead to victory against their long-time division rivals.

3. Vikings receivers will step up

The Vikings will have to establish their offense without Jefferson's presence. This should be a huge challenge because Jefferson's speed, route-running ability and work ethic have set the tone for the Vikings since his rookie year.

However, the Vikings used their first-round draft choice last spring to select Jordan Addison of USC. It seemed a curious pick because of Jefferson's presence, but the Vikings parted ways with Adam Thielen in the offseason and they needed a solid No. 2 receiver to take pressure off of Jefferson.

Addison has done just enough in the early part of the season to demonstrate he is a legitimate threat. He has caught 19 passes for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he is likely to be the team's No. 1 threat during Jefferson's absence.

But he is not their only threat. K.J. Osborn is also a solid receiver who can step up during Jefferson's absence. While Osborn doesn't have huge numbers — 13-166-2 — he has shown the ability to fight for the ball on a regular basis and make clutch catches.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson has caught 30 passes for 254 yards and 2 TDs through the first 5 games, and he will be expected to come after the Bears. While he failed to make a couple of key catches in the loss to the Chiefs, Hockenson has very dependable hands and is capable of stepping up and making big plays.

2. Kirk Cousins will throw for 300 yards and 3 TDs

Cousins has received frequent criticism throughout his career for his performance in big games.

Those big games have been defined as prime time games, games against teams with winning records and playoff games. The Bears don't represent any of those situations.

If his offensive line can do an adequate job of protecting him, Cousins will have a chance to have a dynamic game. Rain is expected in the Chicago area, but as long as the winds don't kick up to an unreasonable level, the quarterback has an excellent chance to put up big numbers.

The Bears struggle to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and their secondary is not overly athletic. Cousins and the offense can take advantage of this opponent.

1. Harrison Smith can have a huge game

When the Vikings beat the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, they successfully went after quarterback Bryce Young with their pass rush.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores blitzed Young on a regular basis and nobody had a better game than safety Harrison Smith.

The veteran had 14 tackles and 3.0 sacks, and he also forced a fumble that was recovered by D.J. Wonnum and returned 53 yards for a touchdown.

That play turned the game in Minnesota's favor and the Vikings recorded a 21-13 victory.

Expect another big game from Smith. He excelled when he was sent after Young, and Chicago quarterback Justin Fields may not feel Smith's presence here and he could be vulnerable to the blitz.