WR Is Everything for Vikings on Sunday
The Minnesota Vikings travel to Soldier Field in a tilt against the Chicago Bears. They will do so without the services of their superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson. On the flip side, they’ll be looking to slow down former Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore. How both of those narratives are handled could be the name of the game.
WR Is Everything for Vikings on Sunday
When looking at the Chicago Bears, the focal point should certainly be quarterback Justin Fields. He has had an up-and-down professional career thus far, but it goes without saying that the Bears signal-caller is capable of dynamic performances. Able to beat the opposite with both his arm and legs, it depends on how well he can play on a weekly basis.
Over the past two weeks, Fields has found D.J. Moore early and often to lead the Chicago offense. Against the Denver Broncos, Moore posted 131 receiving yards on eight receptions and nine targets. He followed up the gaudy performance with 230 yards on eight receptions against the Washington Commanders while reaching the end zone on three occasions.
It’s not as though Moore came out of nowhere. He was an elite talent already with the Panthers, and Carolina only parted with him to land Bryce Young. Adam Thielen took over the wide receiver room in Carolina, and the Bears benefitted with a handful of new picks.
How Minnesota handles Moore may be the name of the game on defense. The Bears offense is hardly prolific, even though they are coming off a 40-point output. The Commanders are not a good team, and while the Vikings 1-4 record would suggest the same of them, there should be hope that Kevin O’Connell’s team can handle themselves quite a bit better.
On the flip side, how the Vikings attack the Bears defense in their first opportunity without Justin Jefferson remains to be seen. Obviously, it’s a prime opportunity for Jordan Addison to step into a featured role, but they will need more from K.J. Osborn as well. Outside of very limited explosions, Osborn hasn’t ever established himself as a consistent regular, even with sporadic opportunities.
This could be a good spot for Cam Akers and Alexander Mattison to shine out of the backfield, but T.J. Hockenson may be the primary pass-catching option. He has shown a mixed bag of results this season, and after signing such a lucrative deal going into the season, everyone involved would like to see a heightened production level.
Sometimes, a game is won in the trenches, and occasionally, the defense controls the tone of the action. For the Bears and Vikings on Sunday, it could come down to which quarterback can better utilize the pass-catching weapons at their disposal. Minnesota will be looking to stifle the best option for Chicago, and they’ll be hoping to get their own rookie going.
There are always plenty of storylines running when Minnesota heads to Soldier Field, and while this Bears team may present less of a challenge, focusing on the wideout position seems like a good narrative to keep track of.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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