Flashback Friday: Vikings Beat the Bears in 2022 + Ali’s Prediction
The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are set to face off Sunday at Soldier Field.
Flashback Friday: Vikings Beat the Bears in 2022
Both teams are 1-4. Chicago was expected not to have a good team this season, so their slow start is not surprising. On the other hand, Minnesota was expected to by many, given they were 13-4 last season.
While very few expected a repeat of 13-4, very few, if any, would have expected a 1-4 start.
The last time these two teams faced each other was the final week of the regular season last season.
Kirk Cousins went 17/20 for 225 yards and a touchdown. Alexander Mattison rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. KJ Osborn caught five passes for 117 yards.
For Chicago, Nathan Peterman went 11/19 for 114 yards and a touchdown. Cole Kmet caught four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Joe Thomas had a game-high 13 tackles.
Minnesota won 29-13. That season, they won the NFC North for the first time since 2017 before falling to the New York Giants the following week at home.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 65-57-2, including winning the past four.
It has been a disappointing start for Kevin O’Connell’s team, and if they lose again this week, it will be much worse. The following week, they play the San Francisco 49ers. A 1-6 start is very possible.
If the losses keep piling up, do not be surprised if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah starts moving some veterans at the trade deadline in two weeks.
Winning at Chicago has been very tough for them over the years. They have won the past three there, but there are no guarantees they will win again this week, especially given they have already lost two games they should have won (home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers). Justin Jefferson being out certainly does not help, either.
It doesn’t matter what kind of team Chicago has. Winning there is usually pretty tough. Minnesota also is not a good team this year. They have a very good shot at winning this Sunday, but it is still far from being a gimme.
Prediction: 23-17 Vikings
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