The Minnesota Vikings will goal for his or her greatest begin since 2016 after they host the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon. 

This needs to be a smash spot for the Vikings towards a group that seems to be extra centered on a excessive draft decide than successful video games, nevertheless it additionally presents a few wrinkles that might make Sunday’s sport extra unpredictable than you suppose.

That being stated, listed below are 5 issues you may depend on.

Dalvin Cook dinner having a monster sport

Cook dinner hasn’t appeared like himself over the previous 4 video games averaging a career-low 4.4 yards per carry. Though Cook dinner remains to be searching for his first 20-yard run and 100-yard sport this season, there is a good probability each will occur towards the Bears.

Chicago comes into Sunday’s sport with the league’s worst run protection, permitting 183.3 yards per sport. Final week towards the New York Giants, they allowed Saquon Barkley to run for 146 yards and allowed 263 complete speeding yards.

That is excellent news for the Vikings who’ve three offensive linemen (Brian O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury and Ed Ingram) within the high 15 at their place in Professional Soccer Focus’s run-blocking grades. That ought to give the bottom sport loads of room to run and a giant day for Cook dinner.

Chicago working the rattling ball

In the event you thought Mike Zimmer beloved to run the ball, wait till you see the Bears. Chicago is third within the NFL with 136 speeding makes an attempt this season. Solely the Philadelphia Eagles (153) and Cleveland Browns (149) have run the ball extra.

There is a good motive for this. The Bears are averaging 5.1 yards per carry – the fifth-highest clip within the NFL. Though David Montgomery is questionable with an ankle harm, backup Khalil Herbert has 6.1 yards per carry this season.

The Vikings have performed a conservative fashion of protection up to now that eliminates the massive move play versus stopping the run, however with Minnesota permitting 4.7 yards per carry this season, working the ball could be the Bears’ greatest probability to flee with a victory.

D.J. Wonnum terrorizing the Bears

The opposite motive why the Bears run the ball a lot is as a result of their passing sport is horrendous. The Bears ranked twenty ninth in PFF’s newest offensive line rankings and are permitting stress on 49 % of Justin Area’s makes an attempt – the fifth-highest fee within the NFL.

Even worse? Fields has been a wreck when pressured this season, posting a 27.4 passer score on 21 makes an attempt. Though the Bears do not throw usually, there needs to be alternatives to scrub up – and that is the place D.J. Wonnum is available in.

Of Wonnum’s eight sacks final season, 5 got here towards the Bears. Most of those sacks got here due to stress generated from someplace else on the sector, however Wonnum was the janitor that cleaned up on these performs. Search for him to get to Fields not less than as soon as and the Vikings to reside within the Chicago backfield.

Jetlag

Sunday’s sport is the place the planets align for the Vikings. It is a midday sport. It is at dwelling. It is towards a foul divisional opponent. The Vikings ought to crush the Bears, however there is a small caveat blended in.

The Vikings performed in London final week and opted to push their bye later into the season. In line with the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, no group has gained in London and returned dwelling to win the next week. The Motion Community’s Brandon Anderson provides that earlier groups which have performed the week after a London sport have been both trailing or tied getting into the fourth quarter.

Kevin O’Connell and his employees have tried totally different strategies to attempt to keep away from any type of jetlag, however the Vikings’ journey schedule may make issues extra attention-grabbing on Sunday.

The Vikings will smash the Bears on Sunday

Journey schedule or not, this needs to be the place the Vikings show themselves as a legit group.

The Bears have a quarterback that seems to be a bust, an offensive line that may be a sieve, a protection that’s getting over and a normal supervisor extra centered on 2025 than this season. If the Vikings need to be a legit contender, they need to crush groups just like the one they will see on Sunday.

Regardless, a win is a win and even when it is nearer than it needs to be, they need to have the ability to get one in Week 5.

Prediction: Vikings 31, Bears 10