The Bears gave the Vikings a good run last time they played, losing in overtime three weeks ago at Soldier Field after quarterback Caleb Williams rallied them from 11 down with a minute left.
Nonetheless, they’re a touchdown-underdog Monday night for a reason. The Vikings have won six in a row and most recently demolished the Falcons 42-21 as Sam Darnold threw five touchdown passes, while the Bears were a disaster in their 38-13 loss to the 49ers.
There’s very little chance of the Bears pulling an upset, but here’s what they’d need for it to happen:
1. Keep Williams upright and comfortable
Williams has been sacked 56 times, by far the most in the NFL. The next-most is Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud at 41. Some of that is on him for not getting the ball out faster, but a lot of it is on the protection. The Bears are best served prioritizing protection, especially against blitz wizard Brian Flores, and seeing if Williams can make it work with fewer downfield receivers.
2. Force Darnold into turnovers
The Bears had some close calls in the last game against the Vikings, but weren’t able to get an interceptions or fumble recoveries off Darnold at Soldier Field. He finished with an efficient 330 yards and 116.1 passer rating, and if he’s in that ballpark again, there’s almost no shot the Bears can win.
3. Start strong
The Bears had one of their worst starts last week. They punted 5 of 5 times in the first half against the 49ers, and four of those were three-and-outs. The opponent almost always scores first on the Bears, and often the early deficit forces them to shift into desperation mode way too soon. That makes the play-calling relatively one-dimensional in favor of passing and puts Williams in a bad situation. An early lead, even by a little, would open things up for him and the offense at large.