3 Things for Vikings to Change against Bears
The Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. It will be the second time the teams have squared off this season, and the last happened less than a month ago. Despite Chicago firing both their offensive coordinator and head coach this season, they kept it close in the first tilt.
Soldier Field has always proven problematic for Minnesota, and winning divisional games on the road is never easy. Kevin O’Connell’s team needed overtime the first time around, but they got the job done with a three-point win. If they want a bit more breathing room, here are three areas to fix on Monday.
1. Key on Caleb
The first time the Minnesota Vikings saw Caleb Williams, he threw the ball 47 times. The Bears’ running game has been virtually nonexistent this season, so he often airs it out. That translated to 340 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns.
If Minnesota wants to make things easier on themselves, they must get to Williams and keep him uncomfortable. The Chicago rookie took three sacks in their first matchup. Hit him early and often to keep him uncomfortable.
2. Shut Down the Ground — Again
The Minnesota Vikings’ run defense has been gashed in the last two weeks. After previously holding the title of best rush defense in the league, they have given up more than 100 yards in back-to-back games.
Against Chicago, D’Andre Swift was bottled up for just 30 yards on 13 carries. It was Williams’ 33 yards on six scrambles that led the attack. Keep him in the pocket and make sure that Swift doesn’t hurt you. The Bears’ offense becomes one-dimensional, and shutting them down is much more straightforward.
3. Avoid the Moore Explosion
With Williams throwing so much, there were multiple target monsters for Chicago. Keenan Allen drew 15 looks, while both Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet had 10 apiece. With just seven targets, D.J. Moore did the most damage as a big play guy. His seven receptions resulted in 106 yards and a touchdown.
Minnesota’s secondary will be tested again, but they can’t let Chicago’s most talented wideout behind them. Safety help will be necessary, but corners must ensure they are always locked in on Moore.
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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 daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. 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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